Children's Garden
A place to grow.
At New Village Community Partners, our Children's Garden is a space filled with exploration and wonder. Whether they're visiting with their class on a field trip, spending the summer in camp, or learning at our farm school, children are invited to plant, tend, and harvest in a living classroom that grows curiosity, connection, and care. Our Children’s Garden is designed to engage all of the senses, nurturing space where young people connect with the earth and with each other, through hands-on education.
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Here, the garden is more than soil and seeds, it's a place where children:
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Connect with nature in an immediate, joyful way: feeling the earth in their hands, watching bees pollinate, and noticing how weather and seasons shape life around them.
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Collaborate with peers, learning teamwork and responsibility as they work together to water, weed, and nurture plants from sowing to harvest.
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Understand where food comes from, gaining first hand insight into the journey from seed to plate, and building respect for the people and processes that feed us.
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Build presence and groundedness, experiencing the calming rhythm of the garden and the quiet confidence that comes from growing something with care.
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Our Children's Garden is designed to be welcoming and accessible for learners of all ages and backgrounds. It's a place where education grows in sunshine and cloudy days, where every child can experience the deep satisfaction of cultivating life from the ground up.
Connecting to Nature
In the Children’s Garden, nature isn’t something to look at, it’s something to touch, smell, listen to, and learn from. Kids plant seeds and watch them grow, feel the warmth of the sun on their backs, and notice the small wonders of the garden: a butterfly landing on a flower, the sound of rain on leaves, the scent of basil crushed between fingers. This kind of direct experience builds a deep, lasting relationship with the natural world. Children begin to see themselves as part of nature, not separate from it. They learn to care for living things, to respect the rhythms of the seasons, and to recognize that they, too, are growing just like the plants that they tend. In a time when many kids are more connected to screens than soil, the garden offers a rare and vital opportunity: to remember what it feels like to be outside, alive, and fully present in the world around them.
Collaborating with Peers
In the Children’s Garden, kids learn the true meaning of teamwork. They work side by side to plant, water, weed, and harvest, taking shared responsibility for what grows. Gardening invites natural collaboration, as children make decisions together, solve challenges, and witness the results of their combined effort. Whether it's dividing tasks or celebrating the first ripe tomato, the garden fosters a sense of belonging and teaches the value of cooperation, communication, and patience, skills that grow well beyond the garden fence.
Understanding Where Food Comes From
For many children, food appears from a lunchbox or a grocery store shelf. In the garden, they see the full story unfold. From planting seeds to pulling carrots from the soil, kids experience firsthand how food is grown, what it needs to thrive, and how long it takes to reach our plates. This connection to the food cycle builds appreciation for farmers, the environment, and the value of fresh, healthy food. It also sparks curiosity about nutrition, sustainability, and the choices we make about what we eat.
Building Presence and Groundedness
In a fast-paced world, the Children’s Garden offers a rare opportunity to slow down. Gardening invites kids into the present moment—feeling the soil between their fingers, noticing the way a leaf curls, or pausing to watch a worm wriggle through compost. This kind of quiet focus fosters mindfulness, emotional regulation, and a sense of rootedness. Children leave the garden not only with knowledge, but with a deeper sense of calm, confidence, and connection; to themselves, to others, and to the earth.