Connect IN Nature Project: Farming & Gardening
Explore gardening at home and at your local park or community garden
Week 1: Getting to Know Your Garden
Materials: Notebook, pen, camera or smartphone.
Instructions:
1. Visit your local park or community garden.
2. Walk around and observe different plants, flowers, and trees.
3. Take photos or sketch your favorite plants.
4. Write down any interesting observations or questions you
have about the plants.
Activity 1: Garden Exploration
Activity 2: Plant Identification
Materials: Notebook, pen, camera or smartphone.
Instructions:
1. Visit your local park or community garden.
2. Walk around and observe different plants, flowers, and trees.
3. Take photos or sketch your favorite plants.
4. Write down any interesting observations or questions you
have about the plants.
Week 2: Planting and Growing
Materials: Small pots or containers, soil, seeds, water.
Instructions:
1. Choose a few easy-to-grow seeds (e.g., lettuce, radishes,
marigolds).
2. Fill the pots with soil and plant the seeds according to the
packet instructions.
3. Water the seeds gently and place the pots in a sunny spot.
4. Keep a daily log of the plants' growth, noting any changes
you see.
Activity 3: Starting a Mini Garden
Activity 4: Garden Care Routine
Materials: Watering can, fertilizer (optional), gardening gloves.
Instructions:
1. Establish a daily or weekly garden care routine.
2. Water your plants regularly and check for any signs of pests
or disease.
3. If needed, add fertilizer to help your plants grow.
4. Record your care activities in your garden log.
Week 3: Observing and Learning
Materials: Scavenger hunt list, pencil, bag.
Instructions:
1. Create a scavenger hunt list with items commonly found in
gardens (e.g., a red flower, a butterfly, a smooth rock). Fill the
pots with soil and plant the seeds according to the
packet instructions.
2. Explore the garden to find each item on the list.
3. Collect small items (like leaves or rocks) in a bag or take
photos of them.
4. Discuss your findings with your family and write about them
in your notebook.
Activity 5: Nature Scavenger Hunt
Materials: Notebook, pen, camera or smartphone.
Instructions:
1. Sit quietly in your garden and observe pollinators like bees,
butterflies, and birds.
2. Note the types of pollinators you see and the plants they
visit.
3. Take photos or draw pictures of the pollinators.
4. Research the role of pollinators in the garden and write a
short report.
Activity 6: Pollinator Watch
Week 4: Creative and Fun Activities
Materials: Smooth stones, paint, paintbrushes, waterproof sealant.
Instructions:
1. Collect smooth stones from your garden or park.
2. Paint the stones with colorful designs or plant labels.
3. Allow the paint to dry and then apply a waterproof sealant.
4. Place the decorated stones in your garden as markers or
decorations.
Activity 7: Garden Art
Activity 8: Sensory Garden Walk
Materials: Notebook, crayons or colored pencils.
Instructions:
1. Walk through the garden using all your senses.
2. Touch different plants and describe how they feel.
3. Smell the flowers and leaves and note their scents.
4. Listen to the sounds of the garden and draw a picture of
what you hear.
Week 5: Sharing and Reflecting
Materials: Notebook, pen.
Instructions:
1. Write a short story or poem about your garden experience.
2. Share your story with your family or friends.
3. Illustrate your story with drawings or photos.
Activity 9: Garden Storytelling
Activity 10: Community Garden Day
Materials: Any materials from previous activities.
Instructions:
1. Plan a visit to your local community garden.
2. Share your garden journal, photos, and stories with other
community members.
3. Participate in a community garden activity, such as planting
or harvesting.
4. Reflect on what you’ve learned and how you’ve contributed
to the community garden.
Farmer’s Market Activities
Materials: None.
Instructions:
1. Challenge youth to find the healthiest food options at the
market.
2. Discuss the benefits of choosing fresh fruits and vegetables
over processed foods.
3. Encourage them to create a list of healthy meals or snacks
using ingredients from the market.
Healthy Eating Challenge
Materials: Samples from market vendors, tasting scorecards (optional).
Instructions:
1. Pick up small samples of different fruits, vegetables, or other
products offered by vendors.
2. Taste and compare them.
3. Discuss flavors, textures, and preferences.
4. Optionally, rate each sample on a tasting scorecard and
discuss the results.
Tasting Challenge
Materials: Bingo cards (pre-made with market items like vegetables,
fruits, baked goods, etc.), pen or pencil.
Instructions:
1. Hand out/ develop bingo cards with different market items in
each square.
2. Walk around the market and mark off items on their bingo
cards as you see them.
3. The first one to complete a line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal)
shouts “Bingo!” and wins a small prize.
Farmers Market Bingo
Materials: None.
Instructions:
1. Encourage youth to approach different vendors and ask
questions about their products.
2. Have them learn about where the food comes from, how it’s
grown or made, and any special practices used by the farmers.
3. Create a passport-style booklet where they can collect
stickers or signatures from farmers they meet.
Meet the Farmers
Materials: Scavenger hunt list, pen or pencil.
Instructions:
1. Create a list of items commonly found at the farmers market (e.g.,
apples, honey, flowers).
2. Give each participant a list and a pen or pencil.
3. Challenge them to find and check off each item on their list as
they explore the market.
4. Offer a small prize for completing the scavenger hunt, such as a
sticker or a healthy treat.
Market Scavenger Hunt
Other Activities
Materials: Notebook, pen, camera or smartphone.
Instructions:
1. Sit quietly in the garden and observe pollinators such as bees,
butterflies, and birds.
2. Note the types of pollinators you see and the plants they visit.
3. Take photos or draw pictures of the pollinators.
4. Research the role of pollinators in the garden and write a
short report.
Pollinator Watch
Materials: Notebook, crayons or colored pencils.
Instructions:
1. Walk through the garden using all your senses.
2. Touch different plants and describe how they feel.
3. Smell the flowers and leaves and note their scents.
4. Listen to the sounds of the garden and draw a picture of what
you hear.
5. Share your sensory experiences with a parent or in your
garden journal.
Sensory Garden Walk