At Children First Early Education, we believe that learning goes far beyond the classroom, and one of the most powerful lessons begins right in the garden. As part of our all-inclusive childcare programs, gardening is a key component of our curriculum for children across all of our classrooms. Through our hands-on gardening lessons, children are learning valuable life lessons on curiosity, wellbeing, and healthy habits.
Gardening provides a wealth of benefits during the early learning years, from Toddlers exploring the textures in the soil to Kindergarten and Preschoolers nurturing growth from seeds through to harvest. This type of sensory-rich, outdoor activity supports holistic development across physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skillsets.
Here’s how gardening at our childcare centres helps young children thrive:
Physical Development
Digging, planting, watering, and harvesting help build fine and gross motor skills. Children develop strength, coordination, and dexterity while staying active and engaged outdoors.
Children First Early Education Mitcham planted seeds in their Toddler Classroom for children to regularly care for and watch grow.
Cognitive Growth
Gardening teaches science in real-time. Children explore plant life cycles, weather patterns, and ecosystems, helping them understand the world around them. They also learn responsibility and patience as they care for their growing plants.
Children First Early Education Underwood children used the fresh herbs from their garden as ingredients to their potion making, adding a sensory element with scents and feel.
Emotional Wellbeing
Spending time in nature has been proven to reduce stress and increase calmness in children. Gardening builds self-esteem and pride as children see the results of their efforts bloom and grow.
Children at Children First Early Education Angle Vale are maintaining their vegetable gardens and were able to harvest beetroot and onions that their chef could use in their healthy meals.
Social Skills
Whether they’re working in teams to tend to a veggie patch or taking turns with watering cans, gardening encourages cooperation, communication, and empathy.
Junior Kindy children at our Children First Early Education Mitcham centre harvest their herbs to add to their play dough, creating a sensory experience.
At Children First Early Education, we’re proud to offer gardening experiences at all of our daycare centres as part of our all-inclusive fee structure. That means families can enjoy the benefits of this enriching activity at no extra cost. Our outdoor learning environments are purposefully designed to include edible gardens, flower beds, and even worm farms, giving children a deeper connection to nature and sustainable living.
Our passionate Educators integrate gardening into our daily routines and learning programs, aligning with both the Early Years Learning Framework and the Abecedarian Approach Australia to nurture a love of the environment from an early age.
Whether it’s tasting and smelling the herbs they’ve grown or spotting the first sprout from a seed they planted, children at Children First Early Education are constantly discovering, experimenting, and learning. And as any gardener knows, those early roots make all the difference.
Stay up to date with our Children First Early Education centres on Facebook to see how they use gardening in their everyday curriculums.
- Children First Cranbrook
- Children First Fairfield
- Children First Gaythorne
- Children First Underwood
- Children First Walkervale
- Children First Mernda
- Children First Mitcham
- Children First Evanston Park
- Children First Salisbury Downs
- Children First Athelstone
- Children First Angle Vale
- Children First Ingle Farm
- Children First Lightsview
- Children First Lindisfarne
- Children First South Hobart
Children First Berserker is opening soon, follow them on Facebook to receive regular updates on their progress.
