Early Childhood Programs
Gardening is a great way to cultivate a child’s interest in and love for fruit, vegetables, and nature. When children participate in garden-based learning from birth to age 5, they are introduced to healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
If you are a caregiver or early childcare provider that’s interested in engaging young children in gardening, we supplement the support offered through the Garden Resource Program with tailored assistance, tools and resources specific to the early childhood setting. We’re excited to share the activities and resources that we’ve developed to help you create engaging spaces and teachable moments for little ones.
Garden Based
Learning Guide
Keep Growing Detroit’s Garden Based Learning Guide provides practical and accessible support to establish and maintain garden-based learning spaces for young children. The Guide includes tips for parent engagement, connection to community resources, and opportunities for local procurement of fruits and vegetables for meals and snacks. It also highlights opportunities to achieve program quality standards across the Great Start to Quality Program Quality Indicators
Garden Based Learning for Early Childcare Professionals - 3 Part Series
This three-part series for early childcare professionals introduces simple Garden-Based Learning tools and activities that will help create healthy eating environments in the classroom during meals and snacks and through active use of outdoor learning environments with gardening as a key element.
This course is for early childcare professional serving Detroit, Highland Park or Hamtramck. Our focus will be early childcare programs serving children through age 5.
The classes are approved by Michigan Registry and participants will receive 2 hours of continuing education credits after each class (6 hours total for series).
It is recommended that participants enroll in all three parts to maximize opportunities for garden-based learning, but you may enroll for a single session.
Incentives will be provided for individuals that complete in the entire series.
Classes are held on zoom on the following dates:
Part 1: August 27, 6-8PM. 1,000,001 Teachable Moments: Gardening with Young Children
Part 2: September 10, 6-8PM. Harvesting Healthy Habits: Bringing More Fruits and Vegetables to the Table
Part 3: September 24, 6-8PM. Vegetables are Everywhere: An Introduction to Garden Based Learning
Resources for Early Childcare Providers and Caregivers
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Grow With Me Parent Newsletters
Seasonal newsletters for parents with gardening activities and resources to start a garden at home.
• Crece Con Migo/Grow with Me - Activities in Spanish
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Growing in Containers
Growing in containers is a great option if you have limited space, want to start small or just like the aesthetic of containers.
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Growing Indoors
Indoor growing is a great way to give children experience observing how seeds grow and where food comes from. Best results will come from big seeds that germinate quickly and/or seeds that grow quickly into recognizable plant parts that we eat.
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Grow with Me Garden Plans
Simple Garden Plans for beginners! The School Days Garden Plan uses plants that can be grown in early spring or early fall, ideal for early childhood centers that want to plant a garden that they can harvest before the children leave for the summer or when they come back in the fall.
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Sign up for Grow with Me Newsletter
Monthly Newsletter for early childhood professionals, caregivers, and parents with tips and inspiration.
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Garden At the End of Regie’s Rainbow
In partnership with the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, Keep Growing Detroit created “The Garden at the End of Regie’s Rainbow which builds on the adventures children go on with the Regie’s Rainbow Adventure® Program.
• Garden at the End of Regie’s Rainbow Caregiver & Parent Guide
• Garden at the End of Regie’s Rainbow, Week 9 Activity Guide
KGD Children's Book of the Month
Fresh Snacks, Meals & Tasting Activities
Keep Growing Detroit can help early childcare providers procure Detroit-grown fruits and vegetables for healthy meals, snacks, and tasting activities. Fresh and locally-grown vegetables not only taste AMAZING, they entice our littlest eaters to try and develop familiarity with fruits and vegetables at this critical young age. Furthermore, encouraging relationships and the local circulation of dollars between our early childhood institutions and farmers promotes resiliency and reliability in Detroit’s food system.
New to sourcing seasonally?
Need help with menu planning? The Grown in Detroit Seasonal Availability Chart is a great place to start. KGD staff are also available to support providers with suggestions for meals, snacks, and tasting activities. Early childcare providers that participate in KGD’s Garden Resource Program are eligible for a discounted rate on fruits and vegetables procured through the KGD Online Farm Store.
