They love to play and explore. They have a very short attention span. They have tons of energy. They are preschoolers! Working with this age group in the garden comes with a unique set of challenges. On January 9th, The Gardens Project organized a workshop to help educators of young children from around Mendocino County succeed in meeting these challenges and connecting the garden with the classroom.
The workshop was held at Talmage State Preschool, was co-sponsored by First 5, Head Start, and The Gardens Project, and was presented by Life Lab Science Program, a nonprofit organization that has been working in the field of science and environmental education since 1979. With their award winning curricula and programs, LifeLab helps schools develop gardens where children can create "living laboratories" for the study of the natural world. The workshop focused on designing a garden for young children (ages 3-6), lesson ideas for introducing children to soil, seeds, plants and animals, and songs and books that are designed to connect to garden lessons. We spent time in the garden and in the classroom and left the workshop with a booklet full of garden lesson plans.
One of the best aspects of the day was connecting with 25 other staff working in gardens with preschoolers at Fort Bragg Head Start, Willits Head Start, South Ukiah Head Start, Orchard Head Start, Nokomis Head Start, Talmage State PreSchool, and Caspar. We shared our experiences and ideas of what works and what doesn’t work with young children in the garden. It was an inspirational day of learning, sharing, and networking, complete with a yummy lunch and lots of laughs.
Thank You, Gardens Project!
Kim Morgan
Noyo Food Forester
& FB Head Start Family Garden Coordinator
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