Childcare & Gardening

Vegetable gardening and health are interlinked. Children who grow their own vegetables are more likely to eat them and to try new ones. Children who eat more vegetables are less likely to be obese. In Putnam County the rate of obesity is 4 percent higher than the state average.

 We at Cornell Cooperative Extension are working with the United Way of Westchester and Putnam and the Putnam County Department of Health’s Live Healthy Putnam Coalition to bring garden-based education programs to childcare centers in Putnam County.

Vegetable gardening also makes great tie-ins into science-based curriculum that meets common core and early childhood learning guides and standards, like Cognition and Knowledge of the World & Living Things, Scientific Thinking and Nutrition. Don’t think you have enough space for a garden? Many of these activities can take place in pots and on windowsills.

If you are interested in starting a garden at your childcare facility, or gardening with you child at home, contact us. We can help you get started and introduce you to many helpful resources including: Cornell's Garden Based Learning website.

Last updated April 15, 2020