One of the main components of farm to ECE is food, nutrition, and agriculture education. Experiential food education can be very influential in the development of lifelong eating habits and is viewed by many providers as one of the simplest ways to start engaging in farm to ECE. During educational activities, children learn how food grows, what food feels and looks like, where it comes from, what it tastes like, and how to cook it. This can be achieved through a wide variety of activities, such as:
- Reading books related to food or farming
- Arts and crafts
- Singing songs
- Taste tests
- Field trips and farmer visits
- Cooking classes
Below are resources to get started or expand your farm to ECE educational activities.
An easy reference guide on the curriculums linked above
Find garden focused curriculums and activities.
Lesson plans with activities and books by month
An activity kit for each plant of the month with hands-on and nutrition education activities, teacher guides, and newsletters (English and Spanish)
California’s Farm to ECE curriculum with an activity each week including cooking, science, and circle-time based lessons
Also available in Spanish
Curriculum with classroom activities organized by plant
An easy-to-use, introductory Farm to ECE curriculum
Guide that includes activities, glossary, recipes, and more!
Ecotrust’s quick guide with steps and considerations for planning your field trip
A worksheet by the Plant a Seed foundation to help guide your farmer’s market field trip
Includes lesson plan and activities for K-5; can be adapted
A comprehensive guide with information about logistics, connecting field trips to curriculum, and other resources
Virtual farm to ECE lessons and farm tours
Washington State Department of Health’s conversation cards with questions meant to foster conversation between children while helping them to understand and appreciate healthy food and where it comes from.
Also available in Spanish
hundreds of books related to Farm to school that can be read during story time
Recipes with seasonal ingredients and some lesson plans. Also available in Spanish
A guide to using the creative curriculum in the preschool setting. Includes ideas by classroom interest areas, intentional teaching cards and their Farm to ECE adaptations, questions, props, poems, and more to seamlessly adopt Farm to ECE
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s comprehensive guide to performing taste test activities
Hang these signs outside classroom doors to promote and celebrate your taste test activities. Available in English and Spanish
