From Farm to Preschool: A Garden-Based Program for Childcare Centers

Author: Nicole Martin Webb

Many people have heard of farm-to-school projects; now it’s time for farm-to-preschool! Vegetable gardening with children is a great way to connect them to agriculture, and the garden is a place where perfection doesn’t matter and mistakes can and should happen. Children’s gardens are experiential, hands-on, and messy. Gardening teaches young children that actions have consequences, that food comes from the earth before it reaches the store shelf, and the activity reconnects our youngsters to nature. The global move towards a “greener” way of life is propelling environmental education to center stage, giving early childcare providers a perfect opportunity to implement garden-based programs for children as young as three.

Young children learn through play. They can learn math best, for example, by digging in the dirt and determining how many “pinky fingers” deep to go before dropping in a seed. Gardens serve as living classrooms where cross-disciplinary teaching can occur. Gardens also provide a multi-sensory experience that allows for inquiry-based, child-initiated discovery. This is the premise behind a new garden-based education program for preschool-age children in Kentucky.

The P.L.A.N.N.T. (Preschoolers Learning About Nature & Nutrition Together) program centers around the construction of an on-site vegetable garden, which becomes an outdoor classroom where the children build, dig, plant, water, rake, and yes, play. The program combines daily lessons with garden work to teach children about healthy eating, the origins of food, environmental stewardship, and academic studies. Subjects range from math and science to social studies, history, literature, physical activity, and nutrition.

Every center’s needs and physical environment are different. P.L.A.N.N.T. serves as a tool to help childcare teachers implement garden instruction in a way that’s feasible and practical for their center. The program’s goals are to increase children’s nutritional and environmental awareness, increase their real-life and self-help skills, and increase their academic readiness for kindergarten.

The P.L.A.N.N.T. program is the brainchild of Nicole Martin Webb, a long-time early childhood educator. With support from a National Governor’s Association Grant for nutrition and physical activity that enabled her to offer extensive training, Nicole piloted the program at interested childcare facilities and preschools throughout Kentucky. Learn more about P.L.A.N.N.T. at www.plannt.ning.com, and about the Get Fit Kentucky campaign and other nutrition and physical activity projects in Kentucky at www.getfitky.gov. 

Nicole Martin Webb is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a master’s degree in public health. Her research area of expertise is in child health and garden-based education; she is a member of the NACC and NAEYC.