The Why: Garden-based learning gets kids outside, builds self-esteem, familiarizes student with how food plants and other flora grows in the city, and has even been shown to reduce stress and improve academic outcomes in the classroom. From poetry to the plant lifecycle to gardening, we have resources for you that will help you to integrate your school garden into your curriculum.
Garden Learning:
- NYC Outdoor Learning Toolkit – tips on materials, outdoor classroom managements, resources for students with special needs, curriculum links, and programming.
- Math in the Playground – though it utilizes the entire playground, a few of these lesson also incorporate elements of the trees, plants, and garden beds in the playground!
- City Nature Challenge Educator Toolkit – K-12 nature-based activities and lesson focused on observing biodiversity.
- Seed to Plate Nutrition Education (5th and 6th grade) through GrowNYC
- Whole Kids Garden Lessons offer 35 lessons for grades K-5, covering seeds, planting plans, pests, pollinators, and food systems.
- Growing Minds suggests a children’s book to accompany school garden activities for each season.
- Edible School Yard offers both gardening and cooking lessons.
- Education Outside offers Science-based lesson for K-5, all aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.
- Tips on keeping a Nature Journal
- Ideas for teaching Art in the Garden ,encouraging moments of wonder with Kaleidoscopes or submitting environmental art to DEP’s annual contest.
- The best garden warm up to get kids looking closely.
- Find more in our Full NYC Stewardship Manual
Garden Care:
- NYRP Garden Guide for Beginners
- Big Green Garden Resources and Tips
- Weeding Basics
- Identifying Weeds
- Working with Native Plants
- Creating a Garden Plan or “Who has the keys to the shed?!”
- Starting a Student-led Garden Group
- How to Plant Seeds & How to Thin Seeds
- Finding mulch for gardens and tree pits
- Tree care
- Planting Flower Bulbs
Find more lessons in the Learning in the Playground page.