Start Early in the Garden
Gardening in early care settings provides hands-on experiential learning for children that help your program meet the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. It increases opportunities for development of physical and social skills while also teaching healthy eating habits.
Check out these great resources for more information on how to start a garden in your ECE program:
Garden Guides
- How’s it Growing? A How-to Guide for Starting a Farm to Preschool Program by Emily Mehr
- Fearless Beginning Gardening at Your Program by Wisconsin Community Groundworks
- My First Garden by The Rodale Institute
- Start an Early Childhood Garden Program by KidsGardening
- How to Start a Site Garden Toolkit by EarthEasy
Garden-Based Activities & Curriculum
- 8 Preschool Garden Themes and Activities by Sustainable Play
- 25 Planting and Garden Activities for Pre-K by Pre-K Pages
Illinois Harvest of the Month
Request a password to Harvest of the Month to access recipes, classroom activities, and technical assistance for your early care center!