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Growing food is one way to expose students to a variety of items they may not have seen before and spark interest in trying new foods. There are lots of opportunities within the curriculum to incorporate garden activities, indoors or out, for hands-on learning. Outdoor school gardens have the added bonus of increasing physical activity and creating a sense of community.

Follow the 4-step process to take a planned and comprehensive approach to work on this topic.

Getting Started

• Have you considered growing edible plants (e.g., herbs, lettuce) indoors using windowsill, greenhouse or tower gardens? 
• Does anyone in the school community have knowledge to help you get started or expand your existing garden? 
• Is there any funding available to get your garden project started? 
• Do you have supports to maintain the gardens? (e.g., watering, harvesting, pruning, weeding)

Bright Ideas

• Don’t reinvent the wheel. Explore the gardening resources that already exist or local community gardens that could be accessed.
• Keep it safe. Always practice safe food handling and proper hand washing techniques.
• Ask for donations from local businesses or fundraise to buy new garden equipment and materials (e.g., hoses, watering cans, building materials, soil, seeds, etc.)
• Partner with local child care centres or youth centres to assist with caring for and maintaining the gardens outside of school hours and months.

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