Gardening with Young Children: Developing More Than Just a Green Thumb

Hands-on gardening with young children has so many benefits-for the children, the adults who care for them, and the communities they live in. Incorporating gardening into early care and learning settings is a powerful strategy to support lifelong healthy eating habits and help young children learn to care for living things.

Children gardening at an ECHO site. Credit: David Lynn Photography

Involving children in gardening at a young age develops more than just a green thumb, it helps young children boost their ecological literacy, expands their understanding of where food comes from, and supports social and emotional health, while promoting a sense of community as children take part in planting, caring, harvesting, and helping prepare their own tasty eating experiences.

These opportunities are often embraced by families and the broader community as well, creating a ripple effect of more holistic, healthy lifestyles.

The Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) initiative and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment collaborated early this year to craft a training and mini-grant opportunity for Colorado-based early childhood education programs to increase gardening opportunities within their own outdoor spaces. Providers across the state were awarded mini-grants as part of the gardening cohort, and enrolled in a training that included topics on garden basics, design considerations, and gardening opportunities with young children.

The ECHO team interviewed two of the gardening cohort members based in Aurora, Colorado, Nirmal Thorat of Innocent Juniors Child Care and Judy Gutierrez of Judy's Jitterbugs, as they reflected on their time gardening with the children at their programs.

Do you think that more early child care professionals should integrate gardening into their programs?

Nirmal: Early child care professionals should integrate gardening into their programs to benefit children and themselves. Gardening fosters critical thinking, observation, engagement, and reasoning skills in children, while teaching them the value of responsibility and reliability. It also provides an opportunity for children to develop their sense of touch and feel, curiosity, and exploration. Furthermore, gardening is an excellent way to introduce math and science concepts, such as counting, sorting, and understanding plant life cycles.

Judy: There are many benefits to integrating gardening into a childcare program. It helps children learn to communicate, share responsibilities, take turns, and work together to grow a fruitful harvest. The kids in my care were excited to plan and make decisions about what we grew in our garden.

It gave them a sense of ownership, responsibility, and a sense of purpose. They loved that we could share our vegetables with our neighbors and families, giving them a sense of pride in knowing that they took part in growing what we were sharing with others.

Judy's Jitterbugs enjoying their watermelon harvest! Credit: Judy Gutierrez

How can the children at your program apply the skills they have gained from gardening to other aspects of their lives?

Nirmal: By engaging children in the process of growing fruits and vegetables, we inspired a love for healthy foods. Our program saw success with snap peas, as children became more willing to eat them after participating in their cultivation. Our outdoor space now serves as a perfect setting to educate children on the importance of nutrition and the benefits of leading a happy, healthy, and well-balanced lifestyle.

Judy: My children had to learn about patience. We even sang songs about having to practice patience as we sat and waited for things to start growing in our garden. We also needed to solve problems, thanks to a little squirrel and a rabbit that would often eat the vegetables growing in our garden. Through these experiences, the children learned lifelong skills like responsibility, planning, and problem-solving that can be applied throughout their lives.

Children at Innocent Juniors Child Care harvesting their hard-earned tomatoes! Credit: Nirmal Thorat

Why are funding opportunities and grants that elevate outdoor play and learning experiences important to early childhood care programs?

Nirmal: Early childhood care programs can greatly benefit from funding opportunities and grants, enabling them to provide a diverse range of plants, structures, and tools that cater to children's unique needs and interests. This allows for the creation of personalized gardening experiences, where children can choose what they want to grow, utilize individual gardening accessories, and engage in various stages of plant care.

Judy: Funding opportunities and grants play an integral role in supporting outdoor play and early learning experiences for young children. Having an opportunity to grow a garden in early childhood programs provides some children the opportunity to experience something that they may not have otherwise. This funding opportunity opened the door for so much more than just planting a few seeds in some soil.

What advice would you give other early child care professionals who want to start gardening at their program?

Nirmal: A great place to start gardening is to talk about it with yourself and the children. Discuss the types of crops and plants they would like to see in the garden, and plan accordingly. Gather the necessary materials such as seeds, seedlings, potting soil, water containers, and more. With the help of children, gardening becomes an easy and enjoyable task.

Judy: To just do it! You don't need a green thumb, a large space, or a big budget. There is so much to learn in the process, through both failures and successes. It's such a small thing we can do for young children, but it's a great gift that we can share and look forward to each year.

Gardening with Young Children: Tips & Tricks

Young girl gardening at an ECHO event. Credit: David Lynn Photography

Here are a few tips from Nirmal to help programs get started:

1. Start Small: Begin with a few easy-to-grow plants. Herbs like basil and mint, or vegetables like radishes and lettuce, are great choices for young children.
2. Get the Kids Involved: Engage children in every step of the process, from planting seeds to watering and weeding. This hands-on experience is crucial for their learning and development.
3. Safety First: Ensure that all gardening tools and materials are safe for young children. Ensure that plants and gardening components like soil and fertilizers comply with licensing rules and regulations.
4. Family Involvement: Get families on board by sharing the benefits of gardening and inviting them to participate in gardening activities or events.
5. Celebrate Successes: Celebrate the milestones, like the first sprout or the first harvest. These achievements encourage children and make the experience more enjoyable.

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