Garden

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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom
Hands-on garden experience engages your child and teaches patience, responsibility and the
pleasure of work. Understanding how food is grown inspires curiosity and expands a child’s
willingness to try new foods.

F rom t he G arden to t he C lassroom

Activities

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Created By: Lucrecia Farfan-Ramirez, University of California Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Alameda County
Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

Introduction
From the Garden to the Table reinforces
nutrition education using the garden as a
laboratory for learning. The garden
provides opportunities for children to
discover fresh fruits and vegetables, make
healthier food choices, and become better
nourished1. The garden is an innovative
teaching tool that incorporates hands-on
activities that allow children to learn by F rom t he G arden
doing.
t o t he T able
From the Garden to the Table is an
excellent way to teach children about food A combination of indoor and
origins, nutrition, and healthy eating outdoor gardening builds
behaviors. The curriculum uses a understanding and reinforces
combination of indoor-outdoor gardening concepts. Children learn while
experiences, to engage children in making discoveries, experimenting,
exploration and inquiry. Children are and connecting their indoor and
actively involved in planting, maintaining outdoor experiences.
and harvesting edible plants and witness
their life-cycle from seed to harvest. The outdoor garden provides many
opportunities for young children to
From the Garden to the Table activities direct their own learning by sharing
are organized sequentially. Indoor their experiences, processing their
classroom activities reinforce concepts ideas and connecting those ideas to
learned in the outdoor garden. The indoor the real world.
and outdoor sessions should be
implemented at the same time. Gardening is an appropriate
experiential learning tool to teach
From the Garden to the Table reinforces math, reading, appropriate food
the experiential learning process through choice and exercise.
activities that are initiated indoors and then
moved outdoors or the reverse. Both the
indoor and outdoor classroom
environments are dynamic extensions of
one another. They are wonderful settings
for nutrition-gardening learning to take
place.

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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

Throughout this module, we will refer to the

M aking a outdoor garden as the Surprise Garden and
the indoor as the Picture Garden.
C ommitment t o H ave
From the Garden to the Table is divided into
a G arden six sessions:

From the Garden to the Table 1. The Magical World of Fruits & Vegetables
requires teachers to commit to 2. Strong Healthy Seeds
having an outdoor garden. A variety 3. Planting a Surprise Edible Garden
of plants can be grown in a small plot 4. Feeding the Soil
of land with some support from 5. Who Else Lives in the Garden?
parents. 6. A Harvest Celebration

A large container can become the Gardening can be used to teach multiple subject
classroom garden when a small plot areas, teachers are encouraged to implement all
of land is not available. Donated wine six lessons over the course of the school year.
barrels or an old, overturned
bookshelf with drainage holes drilled For many children in urban areas, gardening is
into the bottom can become ideal one of the few opportunities available where
container gardens. they can actively connect with the environment
and the natural world.

Teachers may use other available resources

connecting gardening and nutrition when
preparing the lessons. Pictures, photographs,
storybooks, arts and crafts, field trips, and guest
speakers can make a powerful impact on
preschoolers’ health and nutrition practices now
and in the future.
* Note:
Refer to your NETA Workshop
Training Manual: Basics of Edible
Gardens for detailed information
about container gardening and/or
how to develop an outdoor garden
or contact the Master Gardener
office in your county.

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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

For Teachers Only

Provides tips on how to organize indoor and outdoor classroom activities. Best practices
used by other teachers are included for your information.

G eneral C lassroom A ctivity T ips

T eachers:
♥ Reinforce the relationship between eating healthy and growing
strong by describing how plants that are fed and maintained well
grow up to be healthy and strong. A well-planned garden produces
healthy plants that are high in nutrients.
♥ Help children make the connection between the indoor Picture Garden
and the outdoor Surprise Garden to make the child’s experience
concrete.
♥ Encourage children to be creative, explore, and experiment with ways to
grow an outdoor garden in their Picture Garden.
♥ Support children’s natural curiosity about the relationship between the
land (gardening) and nutritious food. Ask open-ended questions frequently
to ignite discovery. Remind children it is all right to guess! This is part of
the learning process.
♥ Set up rules about using tools and working in the garden.

C hildren:
♥ Explore! Practice growing and eating fresh fruits and
vegetables.
♥ Play, learn, and discover how seeds become edible plants.
♥ Touch, taste, smell, look and observe how plants grow over
time while appreciating their different colors and wonderful
smells.
♥ Plant, care for and protect the plants.
♥ Practice positive hygiene skills, by washing hands after
working in the garden.

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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

Tips for Sustaining the Garden

Create a Garden Logo. This is a way to identify the garden program and a
great opportunity for the rest of the school to support the garden. Also, it is
an opportunity to solicit funds and support from the local community.

Make a Sign. Children will have an opportunity to talk to others about their
garden every time someone sees the sign in the school. Often vandalism can
be prevented when neighbors read “Children’s Garden”.

Write a Garden Corner in the School Newsletter. Have a garden corner

in the newsletter and use it to report successes, recruit volunteers, and seek
donations. Be sure to include the time and place for volunteers meet.

On-going Recruitment for Volunteers. Recruit parent volunteers at every

event at the school. Post signs and offer orientation classes throughout the
year.

Establish Roles for Volunteers. Most people are really busy, but might
have some free time to volunteer in the garden if they know what they are
committing to. Define the roles for the volunteers. Create a list of specific
jobs.

Request Donations. Solicit donations from businesses, parents, and

relatives. Use the garden logo and personal messages from the children.

Look for Funding Opportunities. Always be alert for small grants and
apply. An internet search is a good place to start.

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 Competencies: 1A, 2E, 6A, 6B Garden

Nutrition Matters! 2
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

Lesson 1: The Magical World of Fruits & Vegetables

Session Overview

Main Objective
Demonstrate awareness about the connections between plants and food

Desired Outcomes

Preschooler will:

♥ Show an interest in growing fruits and vegetables

♥ Visualize growing a garden with fruits and vegetables
♥ Match 1-2 plants growing in the garden with the foods they produce

Desired Results Connections

Activity 1-1: The Magical World of Fruits and Vegetables

Desired Result included in this activity CDR 1, 2, 3, and 4
Children learn new math concepts, compare and contrast, develop language
comprehension and expression

Connection to Module I
Activity 2.1: Fruit & Vegetable Scramble
Activity 2.2: Surprise Box of Color
Activity 2.3: A Taste of Produce
Activity 4.2: Rub, Scrub, Rub with Soap

Family Connections: One Parent Home Study Letter

Snack of the Week: “Berries On the Go”

Activities Recipes
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Created By: Lucrecia Farfan-Ramirez, University of California Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Alameda County
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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

For Teachers Only

Indoor Classroom Activities Tips Outdoor Classroom Activities Tips

♥ The Surprise Garden is the outdoor

garden where the children will be
growing fruits and vegetables. It is
♥ Have a large paper banner in the best to find a location close to the
classroom. This will be the Picture schoolyard to prevent vandalism.
Garden. Children will display the
different gardening stages; ♥ Design and plan a garden with the
selecting a garden spot, planting children. Ask them to draw maps of an
seeds, watering, weeding and ideal garden. Give them measuring
harvesting the garden. tapes, crayons, and construction
paper.
♥ The Picture Garden will be
completed by the end of Session 6: ♥ Traditionally the garden is planted in
Harvest Celebration. the ground of the schoolyard. Your
garden should be comfortable for the
♥ In the Picture Garden children will children to work in. Include paths for
simulate what is happing in the the children to walk on. Have a shady
outdoor garden. place for conducting outdoor lessons.
Have a tool shed to store and protect
♥ Reinforce key concepts while garden tools. Raised beds should be 1-
children simulate, practice and 2 foot-tall for children to reach.
explore their outdoor gardening Container gardens are also appropriate
experience in their indoor Picture for this age.
Garden.
♥ The Surprise Garden should be in a
♥ Grow seedlings indoors in small sunny area and have access to water.
containers (such as plastic cups or With sun, soil and water you are
recycled milk cartons). Children will ready to plant!
observe the differences between
plants growing indoors and those ♥ A full site analysis considers size, soil,
growing outdoors. sunlight, water sources, water
drainage, accessibility, security and
safety. Consult with your local UC
Teacher’s Note Master Gardeners.
Children will need a clear set of
expectations regarding their ♥ Be sure to select a garden area that is
behaviors when working with the safe for the children to work in. Child-
tools and the soil. proof the area to prevent injuries.

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Nutrition Matters! 3
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

Activity 1
Materials
The Magical World of Fruits & Vegetables
For Indoor Activity

 Fruits and vegetables Instruction

(select at least 5
different, preferably For Indoor Activity
seasonal) and their
corresponding seeds
1. Using the large sheet of butcher paper, place the “Picture
 Large sheet of butcher
Garden” in a location where children can work on it together.
paper to do the Picture
Garden
They should select a name and place their own pictures on
 Plastic knives, plates, the paper. Throughout the experience children should be
napkins encouraged to bring in pictures and other items that remind
them of the garden.

2. Display various fruits, vegetables and seeds. (Note: Use

For Outdoor Activity seasonal produce for better availability). Ask students to try
to match the fruit or vegetable with the appropriate seed.
 Paper Review the answers and count the number of fruits and
 Pencils, Crayons or vegetables that were correctly matched.
colored markers
3. Discuss and compare the different shapes, colors, smells, and
textures (i.e. rough, smooth) of each of the fruits, vegetables
Note: Do not expect this and seeds.
Picture Garden to be perfect.
Younger children may simply 4. Explain to the children that our land provides us with colorful,
draw lines, circles or ‘blobs’ to tasty fruits and vegetables. Have them imagine how they
represent elements in their
would grow magical fruits and vegetables. Give them their
“Picture Garden”.
own piece of paper to design their Surprise Garden. Draw the
soil, plants, sun and water. Encourage children to use their
imaginations when designing their picture gardens.
Produce of the Garden
5. Each child places their own imaginary garden in the Picture
Garden when they return from the outside garden.

Berries

Activities Activities Recipes Field Trip

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 Competencies: 6A, 6B Garden

Nutrition Matters! 4
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

For Outdoor Activity

1. Explain that many of the foods we eat grow in a garden
just like the foods this class will grow. Tell the children
that the outdoor garden is the Surprise Garden.

2. Ask children to bring their picture of the garden they

designed. Go to the site where the garden will be
established, and compare their garden design with the
Surprise Garden. Go around and check the location of
the garden site, raised beds, or containers. (Read
Informational Flyer 1-1)

3. Ask children if their garden is in a sunny area. Is there

a water faucet close to the garden? Explain why these
are important questions.

4. Ask the children to observe whether there is enough

soil to start a garden? Do we need more soil? What
kind of soil?

5. Explain to them that to have a garden they will need

sunshine, good soil, water for irrigation, some seeds or
seedlings, some food for the plants and time to take of
the plants. Are they ready to grow their own food?

6. Before going inside the classroom, encourage children

to check their Picture Garden and be sure that it has
sun, soil, and water. Now you are ready to select some
of the things you will grow to eat.

7. Ask students what are some of the fruits they eat. In

module I they learned that some of the fruits and
vegetables they eat were roots, stems, flowers on
plants. Use Informational Flyer 1-2 and 1-3 in the
appendix.

Source: Pictures from

University of Illinois Snack: Children’s snack will be from the fruits
Extension
and vegetables they are growing in the garden.
They will eat what they grow: snap peas, beets,
berries, figs, and other produce of the season.

Activities Recipes

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Created By: Lucrecia Farfan-Ramirez, University of California Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Alameda County
 Competencies: 1A, 1C, 2E, 4 Garden
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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

Lesson 3: Planting a Surprise Edible Garden

Session Overview

Main Objective
Practice caring for edible plants that the students will eventually eat

Desired Outcomes

Preschooler will:

♥ Identify 1-2 reasons why the body needs food

♥ Eat new plant foods (fruits and vegetables)

♥ Use gardening tools with increased precision

Desired Results Connections

Activity 3-1: Planting a Surprise Edible Garden

Desired Result included in this activity CDR 1, 2, 3, and 4
Interactions with adults and peers, self regulation, acceptance of diversity,
language expression, cognitive competence, fine motor skills, healthy habits

Connection to Module I
Activity 2.1: Fruits & Vegetables Scramble
Activity 2.2: Surprise Box of Color
Activity 2.3: A Taste of Produce
Activity 4.2: Rub, Scrub, Rub with Soap

Family Connections: One Parent Home Study Letter

Snack of the Week “Snap Your Finger for a Snap Pea”

Activities Recipes
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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom
For Teachers Only

Indoor Classroom Activities Tips Outdoor Classroom Activities

Tips

♥ Select which fruits and vegetables to

grow using Informational Flyer 3. 1-
♥ Children should check their 3.1 (Appendix). Children will be
seedlings daily to be sure the planting edible vegetables in their
paper towel is not dry. They need Surprise Garden.
to spray their individual viewer. Be
sure to have one growing seedling ♥ Beds and soil should be prepared
available to use as a model. ahead of time (Refer to the Teacher
Gardening Trainings). Once the beds
♥ Demonstrate how to use the water are ready to plant, demonstrate how
bottle to spray the growing to plant seeds and/or seedlings. Ask
seedlings. a series of reflective questions while
planting the seeds:
♥ Explain that plants provide • Should we put all the seedlings in
important nutrients to us. Proteins one hole? Why or why not?
(beans, nuts and all dry seeds • Should we plant the seedlings in
such as pumpkin seeds); Calcium the shade? Why or why not?
(collard greens, soybeans, and • Should we plant them very deep
dandelion greens); Iron (parsley, in the soil? Why or why not?
spinach, lentils and artichokes);
Carbohydrates (potatoes, corn and ♥ Children plant the seeds and irrigate.
wheat); Vitamin C (broccoli, red You may want to have small sticks
cabbage and bell peppers); with the name of each fruit and
Vitamin A (carrots, red chilis, vegetable to label your plants… or
spinach and dandelions). they can be a Surprise!

♥ Most of the activities in the garden

will be happening in the Surprise
Garden.
Teacher’s Note:
♥ Explain how the seedlings are Remind children not to play with
growing. What makes them grow the tools. Practice good hygiene
up? What do they eat? after gardening.

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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom

Materials Activity 3
For Indoor Activity Planting a Surprise Edible Garden
 Large Picture Garden Instructions
indoor wall display
 Sprouted seedlings
from previous lesson
Indoor Classroom Activity
Session 2: Strong 1. Explain that the seeds inside the milk cartons will grow
Healthy Seeds up to be big wonderful fruits and vegetables. They will
 Water (in water spray record how the seed they planted grows to become an
bottle) edible plant in the Picture Garden. Remind children
 Large picture of a plant about their responsibility to water their seeds in the
showing various parts milk cartons and the plastic cup. Ask them why water
(Appendix) is important for their plants? (Water is food for the
 Teaching Tool 3.1-3.3 plants and like us, plants get thirsty.) Children may
 MyPyramid for Kids take their cartons home. Send instructions home on
poster how to take care of their growing seeds.

2. Go to the Picture Garden and review with the children

For Outdoor Activity: what has been recorded so far (each child has their
individual picture and the teacher draws the progress
 Seeds for a Surprise on the large poster paper, or the class works together
Salad (e.g. lettuce, to record the progress on the poster).
carrots, radish, snap
peas)
3. Play “I am a Seed”: Children pretend to be a seed
 Accessibility to the
growing into their favorite fruit or vegetable, mimicking
outdoors/small plot of
land or container a growing seed.
garden area
 Water (from water • Seeds are small and strong. Pretend to be a small
bottle with spray tiny seed by sitting down with knees bent, pulled in
nozzle, hose, watering as close to their bodies as they can and wrap hands
can, etc.) around their legs.
 Soil • Seeds are growing into a sprout. Knees are slightly
 Child-proof gardening bent and arms stretched out to the sides.
tools • Seeds are growing leaves. Wave arms and wiggle
fingers.
Produce of the Garden • Every week, children can observe their seedlings
growing and mimic their growing seeds by bending
and stretching arms upward and out. This is good
physical activity.

4. Ask the children to tell you what they need to grow

healthy and strong while looking at MyPyramid for
Kids. What things does a plant need to grow and be
Snap Peas strong? (Answers: water and food)

Activities Recipes 99
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 Competencies: 1A, 1C, 3A, 6A, 6B Garden
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Nutrition Matters!
Early Childhood Education Curriculum Module II: From the Garden to the Classroom
For Outdoor Activity
1. Designate the perimeter of the garden area with some
signs. Involve the children in making the signs and
measuring the perimeter of the garden. Ask children if
they know what seasons are. Ask if the plants will get
enough sun to grow healthy and strong.

2. Ask the children if they have ever grown an edible plant

from a seed before. Have them guess if the seeds will
need more food, as they grow bigger (e.g. more food
/soil, more air/oxygen, more water and more vitamins
and minerals – like iron).

3. It is time to plant the Surprise Garden. Demonstrate

how to plant seeds and/or seedlings. (See Teaching Tool
3.1 to 3.3). You may use wooden rulers to help them
space the seedlings. An old spoon is a very inexpensive
digging tool.

4. Caring of the Surprise Garden: Remind children about

their responsibility to care for the plants. Seeds are
thirsty and need water regularly while they are growing
up. Water and soil are good for the plant and help it to
grow fresh and crunchy fruits and vegetables.

5. There are also “weeds” that want to take over the soil.
Other little creatures, some that are good for the plants,
also live in the soil.

Month Start Seeds Indoors Transplant Outdoors

February Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce
March Lettuce, Peppers, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale,
Parsley Lettuce
April/May Cucumbers, Leaf lettuce, Basil Lettuce, Peppers, Tomatoes
June Cucumber, Leaf, Lettuce, Basil Cucumber, Leaf Lettuce,

Follow the
Basil
July Leaf Lettuce, Basil
August Lettuce, Marigolds

Calendar to start Sept/Oct Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce, Marigolds

Lettuce
November Lettuce Broccoli, Cabbage and

seeds for seedlings

Lettuce

Activities Recipes

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Created By: Lucrecia Farfan-Ramirez, University of California Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Alameda County