At Tiny Hoppers Richmond East, we look forward to Spring so we can teach and enjoy the special time when a child learns how to plant a seed, water it with care, and check on it daily with excitement. Gardening is much more than just outdoor play – it’s a hands-on way for young children to connect with nature, learn about responsibility, and take care of our natural environment.
Young children enjoy exploring with sensory experiences such as water, sand, and soil, and gardening supports this learning in a different way. With guidance from teachers, children learn how to plant seeds, water them, and watch them grow. They’re introduced to concepts like the connection between water, soil and sunlight, and how things can change day to day. Daily, children and teachers also check for sprouts and new leaves. Through daily care routines, they begin to understand that plants need love and attention to grow.
Our classrooms and school garden is a place where teachers can help children learn new science, math, and art concepts. Children count seeds, measure plant growth, and draw pictures of their plants. They may learn the names of flowers and vegetables, talk about pollinators, and even visit the local bee hive.
Through day to day activities, our classes also begin to learn what it means to take care of the Earth. On April 22, we celebrated Earth Day, where children could learn about recycling and composting, cleaning up our neighbourhood, and how to make sure the animals in our community can live a healthy life.
Learning about gardening in our school helps us care for more than just flowers and vegetables. It is a way to learn about empathy, teamwork, and being proud of our work. When children continue to care for their plants over time and begin to see the colours of flowers or the first tomatoes starting to ripen, they may begin to feel connected to a larger community. We value being able to provide children with this ongoing love for learning through emergent curriculum projects.
At Tiny Hoppers Richmond East, we value the learning opportunities that come along with growing a garden and caring for nature. As teachers and children care for something over several days and weeks, we’re not just teaching the children about plants, we are helping grow the sense of community, responsibility, and caring for those around us!
