Ruth Staples
Childhood Development Laboratory
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
This year our outdoor classroom has expanded to include more spaces for children to explore and be a part of the gardening process. We have added more gardening spaces that are accessible to children and serve as a place for teachers to introduce caring for plants and the process of gardening with toddlers and preschoolers. The children were also a part of the process of adding and additional pollinators garden. With this additional space, children are learning the role that pollinators play in our outdoor space but also in the larger space beyond our walls. Our space connects children to the process of planing, planting and connecting to their food and how food supports their bodies and brains.
The outdoor classroom belongs to the children and families and we work together to care for the space and plan for what comes next.
