Gardens are a tool for healthy early childhood growth and development.
From sprouting a seed on a windowsill to maintaining outdoor garden plots, hands-on gardening activities allow children endless discovery and opportunities for childcare providers to meet goals for providing quality care and educational experiences, build healthy eating preferences at a young age, and increasing access to fresh, local food.
Are you interested in integrating or expanding an existing garden component into your program offerings? The
Michigan Farm to Early Care and Education Network hosted this interactive panel discussion of early childcare professionals who shared their experiences integrating gardening into their ECE program as well as insights into their successes, challenges, and practical advice to others who wish to establish or expand their garden initiative.
Panelists:
- Lindsey Potter, Bright Light Early Care and Education
- Lorna Parks, House of Joy Child Care, Inc
- Jann Hogue and Anthony Ells, Detroit Parent Collective
- Lindsay Pielack, Keep Growing Detroit
Learning Outcomes:
- Define farm to early child care and education (farm to ECE) as a set of activities that includes purchasing and serving local food, gardening (indoors or outdoors), and food and agriculture education activities.
- List three benefits of an on-site garden in an early care and education facility
- Recognize ways to incorporate gardening into your ECE program
- Identify two ways for engaging families to support gardens at the ECE setting
- Identify resources to support continued learning and resources for farm to ECE
Learn more about farm to early care and education at
https://mifarmtoecenetwork.org/.