ECE Workshop: Environment & Classroom Design
Exploring Seasonal Gardening
Discover a wide variety of ideas for indoor and outdoor planting, developing insect-friendly garden spaces, container garden options, and incorporating vegetable patches into program outdoor spaces. Join me as we look at creating invitations to play that showcase the growing process, the incorporation of recycled materials, shade and full-sun gardens and the beauty of nature.
Workshop Hosted By
Julie Hansen
Early Childhood Educator, Consultant, and Author
The Reasons Why
Children Need Nature
- Changes in the past few decades have impacted the way children play in ways we could have never imagined before
- From screen time and media exposure to lack of green space
- Many of us can reflect on positive experiences that we had in nature during our childhoods
- Those experiences might have included making mud pies, planting in the garden, chasing bugs, finding crabs at the beach or building forts in the forest
- How can we provide opportunities for children to have hands-on learning experiences with natural elements in early years settings?
The Roll of The Educator
- Educators may be hesitant at first to create a program garden especially if they do not have experience with gardening themselves
- Gardening is a journey and the learning that takes place along the way
- One of the wonderful things about gardening is that anyone can do it, you have what it takes as long as you have a positive attitude
- Think about teaching less and sharing in the experience more
Engaging Children in The Garden
- Our goal as educators is to provide experiences in early learning settings that engage children mentally, physically and emotionally
- Children need to feel a sense of wellbeing and belonging while in our programs
- When creating a garden, it is important that children feel a sense of ownership through the acts of planning, planting, tending and observing what is happening in the garden
Types of Gardens
- Ground-level gardens
- Raised-bed gardens
- Container gardens
- Green roof gardens
- Vertical gardens
- Bird and butterfly gardens
- Sensory Garden
