Those of us teaching and learning outdoors are constantly on the look out for practical and inspiring tips for keeping the kids we learn with growing in our school gardens! This is in no way an exhaustive list, and if you have a great school garden resource the world should know about, please send me a link. In any case, I’ve compiled a list of local and some global online school garden resources you may find helpful as you expand and grow your outdoor classroom and school garden!
Recommended School Garden Resources:
The Classroom Gardener
I’m biased about this resource because I wrote it! That said, teachers who have participated in The Classroom Gardener tell us it is one of the most comprehensive school garden resources available for building teacher capacity and autonomy, while supporting playful inquiry and curricular goals. Participating schools receive teacher professional development, a massive collection of garden inspired resources, professional garden coaching, mapping and schedules plus all the necessary resources to help your garden grow! Check it out!
WestCoast Seeds
A treasure trove of valuable information on what, how and where to plant. Get on their mailing list and request a catalogue! Type the plant you want to grow in their search bar for accurate and easy to follow tips on how to plant, harvest and care for your crop. An essential Westcoast school garden resource!
Border Free Bees
Valuable info on local pollinator species, gardening tips to attract pollinators, and projects to get involved in.
Hives For Humanity
Offering swarm rescue, workshops and presentations, as well as connecting communities to nature through beekeeping in Vancouver.
Muddy Faces
Practical and lovely ideas for integrating nature play and learning into your everyday garden learning with children.
Outdoor Classroom Day
Sign your class or school up for a day of outdoor learning and playing. Check out their free online resources for pedagogical inspiration, practical hands on learning opportunities and connect with other like-minded colleagues.
Let’s Talk Science & The Tomatosphere
Quite possibly the coolest way to integrate scientific inquiry into your garden learning! Sign up to receive tomato seeds that may have been to the International Space Station. Teach your students how to conduct a controlled experiment and record the germination rates of the two seeds packages you received. Submit your results and find out which of your seeds made the journey to space and back! Read my blog post about how we grow space tomatoes in our school garden here.
BC Invasives
An online version of the free field guide. Helpful for identifying and preventing the spread of invasive species on your school garden. There are also plenty of classroom resources available to purchase online: Invasives In The Classroom: A Practical Teacher’s Guide For Intermediate Levels.
TD Friends Of The Environment
TD has put together this online resource for planning and funding your outdoor classroom build. There are many other opportunities for grants to help fund and support the growth of your outdoor classroom.
Read my up-to-date post on Canadian school garden and outdoor classroom grants here.
Evergreen
A good source for garden resources, lessons and often grant funding.
Creative Star Teaching
Juliet Robertson is a master teacher outdoors and has heaps of advice and tips on how you can be too! She’s the author of several practical and inspiring books for teachers and her website offers an endless bounty of online school garden resources for teachers of all ages.
More school garden resources:
If you haven’t already signed up for my newsletter, you’ll find it is an easy way to get up-to-date reminders and ideas for teaching and growing in your garden with kids. I’ve also got a great Pinterest page with loads of school garden resource ideas from around the web that I’ve curated for their do-ability, and not just their Pinterest appeal!
Related post: Gardening With Kids
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