Provide age-appropriate labels for garden beds (tactile pictures, Braille, or large print)

Create a touch and feel station with various garden tools and plants

Use magnifiers, CCTVs, or other technology to explore plants, related books, or other materials

Incorporate social skills support during group time

Encourage turn taking, saying please and thank you, and learning how to ask for help to find tools or plants

Gardening is a great leisure activity

Simply allowing children to learn and explore the concept of gardening will meet this aspect of the ECC

Children can practice beginner O&M skills, such as pre-cane skills and directionality, as they explore the gardening space

Touch

• work on tactile discrimination by playing a matching game using different sets of tools, leaves, flowers, or related gardening supplies

• discuss different types of textures such as smooth, rough, hard, soft, etc.

Hearing

• listen to different outside sounds such as a fountain, wind chime, leaves rustling

• listen to directions and follow through with one step directions or simple multi-step tasks

Taste

• taste different produce from the garden

Smell

• explore different plant smells, flower aromas, and odors that may be present in a garden

• see if the children can identify what they smell

Sight

• reinforce use of remaining sight, if applicable, to identify gardening tools, plants, or colors

Proprioception

• many preschool age children benefit from heavy work tasks that can be found in abundance through gardening

• it is also a great location to teach about gentle touch

• providing specific instruction in this area can help students with VI learn how much force is needed to pick up heavy objects, and also how to moderate this when handling delicate plants

Take a field trip to the farmer’s market, garden supply, or pick your own produce farm

Role-play different jobs related to gardening

Plant seedlings or bean seeds children can care for and watch grow

Harvest produce, learn about different food groups

Make a simple snack or meal using garden harvest

Help children learn how to express what they need help with, or what they may need to access activities

Practice asking for these accommodations