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This publication focuses on developing fruit and vegetable production gardens in the Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE) of childcare centers. Included are basic garden design and layout to help childcare centers get started in year-round gardening activities. This is the second of fifteen publications about childcare center production gardens.
Strawberries are the perfect fruit for early childcare centers. Their life cycle is short (planted in September and harvested in April) so children can plant, watch the flowers bloom, observe pollinators in action, watch the fruit develop, and enjoy the delicious, nutritious result of their newly acquired gardening skills. Many children are familiar with strawberries and eager to eat the fruit. Easy to grow, they have very few pests or diseases to challenge inexperienced gardeners.
This publication is a how-to guide for starting a garden-related vermicomposting bin in a childcare center Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE) or indoors. Included is guidance on design, construction, and management of vermicomposting bins as well as curriculum connections. This is the eighth of fifteen publications about childcare center production gardens.
This factsheet is a guide to introducing children to common garden insects in an early childcare setting. It includes age-appropriate activities for childcare providers to engage young children in identifying garden insects at all life stages.
This publication focuses on easy-to-grow, child-friendly, fruits suitable for childcare center gardening. It provides information about what, how, and when to plant. This is part of the Local Foods: Childcare Center Production Gardens series.
This factsheet summarizes the benefits of fruit and vegetable gardening with children. It includes age-appropriate activities for childcare providers to engage young children using fresh produce from the garden for cooking and eating.
This publication is a how-to guide for starting a garden-related standard compost bin in a childcare center Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE). Included is guidance on design, construction, and management of compost bins as well as curriculum connections. This is the seventh of fifteen publications about childcare center production gardens.
This publication focuses on easy-to-grow, child-friendly, warm-season fruits and vegetables suitable for childcare center gardening. This is the third of fifteen publications about childcare center production gardens.
Early childhood educators can easily engage children in growing, harvesting, and preparing tree fruits that provide numerous opportunities for hands-on learning. Fruit trees add year-round value to childcare outdoor learning environments and provide opportunities for children to follow seasonal changes. In addition, fruit trees help to increase the natural diversity of the spaces and provide pockets of shade. While growing fruit trees can be a very rewarding process, proper planning, preparation, and care of the trees takes time and is essential for success.
This publication focuses on managing weeds in the Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE) of childcare centers. Included are general strategies to help childcare centers identify and manage weeds in childcare center production gardens.
While children are having fun growing, harvesting, and eating delicious, nutritious, fresh fruits and vegetables they also become stewards of the environment and develop healthy life skills. Muscadine grapes, a native North Carolina treasure, are easy to grow and bursting with flavor and nutrients. This publication provides information on how to grow muscadines in childcare center production gardens.
In addition to their delicious fruit, blueberries also provide year-round interest in the garden. Bell-shaped white flowers are popular with native bees in the spring, the fruit is beautiful and nutritious in the summer, and the fall leaves are gorgeous. Best of all, blueberries are relatively easy to grow.
This publication focuses on easy-to-grow, child-friendly, cool-season vegetables suitable for childcare center gardening. This is the fourth of fifteen publications about childcare center production gardens.
This publication includes simple recipes that childcare center cooks and educators can use to engage children in snacking and cooking with fresh cool-season fruits and vegetables from on-site production gardens and elsewhere. This is the sixth of fifteen publications about childcare center production gardens.
This publication includes simple recipes that childcare center cooks and educators can use to engage children in snacking and cooking with fresh warm-season fruits and vegetables from on-site production gardens and elsewhere. This is the fifth of fifteen publications about childcare center production gardens.
