Gardening in Preschools

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NC State Resources for Gardening in Early Child Care Education

Preschool Gardening Publications Blueberries Fruit Insects Muscadine Grapes Strawberries Tree Fruit Weeds
Preschool Gardening Activity Guide
Farm to Early Care and Education Resource Guide
Food Safety tips for school and community gardens.
Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook
The Natural Learning Initiative
Farm to Early Care and Education
NC Extension Plant Toolbox Edible Plants for early childhood gardens 10 min video on how to use the toolkit to find edible plants for early childhood gardens. Transcript Plant to Avoid Poisonous Plants Descriptions, Images, Alternatives

Virtual Tour of Preschool Garden Designed by the Natural Learning Initiative

1-hour Videos from the

Center for Environmental Farming Systems

Aquaponics Learn to build and manage a small aquaponics system including what fish and plants to grow. Tenita Solanto, Green Panda Farms, Navy Veteran, Urban Farmer
Composting How to start a healthy composting bin at home or at your child care center. Rhonda Sherman, NC State Extension Solid Waste Specialist (vermicomposting, composting, recycling)
Container Vegetable Gardening Select an appropriate site, choose vegetable varieties that will thrive, and manage container gardens for bountiful harvests! Eli Snyder, Extension Agent, Agriculture – Commercial and Consumer Horticulture in Wilks County
Edible Landscaping Growing fruits, nuts, and herbs in preschool centers. Learn which are easies, where to plant, and how to grow edible trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, & herbs Dr. Lucy Bradley is an Extension Specialist in Consumer and Community Horticulture at NC State University.
Fall Gardening Identify an appropriate site to grow vegetables and plants that thrive in fall gardens in North Carolina. Understand when and how to plant garden crops, and how to protect them from frosts or freezes. Eli Snyder, Extension Agent, Agriculture – Commercial and Consumer Horticulture in Wilks County
Hydroponics The science behind hydroponics systems, instructions on how to build a mini system for the classroom, and experiments for preschoolers! Dr. Brandon Huber, Graduate of the NC State Controlled Environments Horticulture
Pollinator Class Discover why the world of flittering, fluttering, buzzing, and crawling pollinators is critical to our everyday lives. Build science inquiry skills around pollinator identification and behavior. Learn how to raise painted lady butterflies and any other caterpillar you might find. Embrace the joy (and not the fear) of these winged wonders. Liz Driscoll, 4-H Specialist, Crop and Soil Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology, and Horticultural Science – Grow for it!
Scrap Gardening and Botanical Sciences Teach children to make bath bombs, chapstick, and more botanical self-care products. Liz Driscoll, 4-H Specialist, Crop and Soil Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology, and Horticultural Science – Grow for it!
Tips and Tricks for Gardening with Children Specific tips for working with young children in the garden. Marie Hitt, Growing up Healthy, Project Manager, Orange County Partnership for Young Children
Veggie Gardening 101 An introduction to vegetable gardening at early childcare centers. Learn how to select a garden site, what is easy to grow, when to plant. Dr. Lucy Bradley is an Extension Specialist in Consumer and Community Horticulture at NC State University. She directs the NC Extension Master Gardener Program.
Vermicomposting How to start vermicomposting: what worms species to work with, what a healthy worm bin looks like, and the value of vermicomposting. Rhonda Sherman, NC State Extension Solid Waste Specialist (vermicomposting, composting, recycling)

Resources from our partners

Health and Safety of Gardening in Childcare Centers NC Farm to Preschool Network Reviewed and approved by NC Children’s Environmental Health January 2021

Farm to Preschool Toolkit Growing Minds: Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
NC Poison Control Poisonous Plants-Website Avoid Accidental Plant Poisoning-Flyer