Outdoor Classroom Ideas -
Gardening & Dirt Digging

Gardening and dirt digging in an outdoor classroom are cost-effective ways to provide learning opportunities for children of all ages. School-age children can learn and talk about science: plant growth, soil composition, and the water cycle, as well as the interdependence of living things. Younger and older children alike can benefit from the sense of responsibility that come from watering, weeding and pruning, plus the patience and persistence that come from caring for their plants.

One of our favorite client stories was from a facility with a raised garden bed. After the children spent weeks planting and caring for the vegetables, they made a pizza together from the veggies they grew themselves. Our client told us the children that wouldn’t touch a vegetable before ate it because they grew it. “They believe in it now,” the teacher said.