Little Chefs & Farmers
Little Farmers
Our Little Farmers—children of all ages, including infants—tend six raised garden beds installed on a sunny site on campus. Preschoolers start planning in late winter. Come mud season, children in every classroom start seedlings and prepare the beds, incorporating compost generated from food scraps dropped into tubs at every meal. During planting and growing seasons, children plant their tender seedlings and learn best practices for watering and weeding. Harvest is an annual celebration with veggies and herbs put to use by Little Chefs.
The benefits! Gardening engages all five senses, enhances fine motor development, encourages healthy eating, regulates moods, introduces environmental stewardship, and teaches responsibility. Our children take such pride in tending their plants!
“If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.”
Little Chefs
Little Chefs put our big kitchen to creative use, cooking up weekly recipes for friends schoolwide. Small teams of preschoolers work under the direction of Head Chef Sophia, toddler teacher and foodie, who invites children to experiment with uncommon ingredients, including seasonal produce from our garden and local farm share. Children expand palates, learn basic culinary skills (with safe “kids’” knives), and gain appreciation for farmers and the growing of food. Recent recipes: kale pesto pizza pinwheels, apple butternut squash soup, baba ganoush with freshly baked pita chips, zucchini brownies, sweet potato alfredo, fresh corn and tomato salsa, purple hummus, and plum popsicles. Cooking adventures, along with recipes, are shared in our weekly updates.
“Last Saturday I saw one of our preschool children at the local farmer’s market. Her immediate response: ‘It’s Sophia! When do I get to cook next?’ ”