Why We Garden in Home Daycare

At our home daycare, gardening is an integral part of our daily routine. Children learn alongside the garden, the seasons, and the offerings of the outdoors. Our garden is more than a place to grow food—it’s a living classroom where children discover that some plants are edible, some support pollinators, and others simply enhance the beauty of our yard.

Here, the children plant, tend to the garden, and observe the growth. Along the way, they become stewards of the earth, learning patience, responsibility, and the importance of collaboration. This spring, we continued a favorite tradition—planting radishes. One of the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow with children, radishes became our teaching tool. It’s a snack—if they’ll eat it—and it brings us joy.

reading the book Rah Rah Radish

Here’s the story of our 2025 radish garden.

Planting Radish Seeds – A Child’s First Garden

We planted several varieties of radish—some directly in our outdoor garden bed, others in small biodegradable pots. The children participated in planting and watering and eventually helped transplant the seedlings outdoors once they were strong enough.

As we worked, we talked about what seeds need to grow: sunlight, water, and love. We paired our garden time with our favorite books, “Ten Seeds ” and “It Starts with a Seed“—both ideal for early childhood nature studies.

And remember: not all children will participate. In our home daycare, gardening is always an invitation, not a command.

This hands-on experience gave children the chance to:

• Observe how different environments impact growth
• Ask questions about plant life cycles
• Learn through doing—hands-on at its core

Illinois Early Learning Standards – Science

• 12.A.ECa: Observe, investigate, describe, and categorize living things

• 12.A.ECb: Show an awareness of changes that occur in oneself and the environment

radish seedlings

Transferring Radishes to Our Outdoor Garden

Once our indoor seedlings were strong enough, we completed the hardening-off phase (details on this are provided in Seeds to Bloom: A Home Educator’s Guide to Gardening with Kids). Then came transplanting day—where their tiny hands prepared the soil, dug holes, and gently tucked each seedling into the garden bed.

Harvesting Radishes – The Joy in the Grabbing

This year’s weather was unpredictable, so what normally takes five weeks stretched longer. We planted in March and began harvesting in May. We can’t hurry growth—and there are lessons in waiting that children must learn early on.

There’s a level of joy and learning that cannot be replicated by worksheets, books, or screens. This is hands-on education at its finest.

The children pulled vibrant red, pink, and white radishes from the soil. We know how much children love the deconstruction or smashing play schemas—some preferred harvesting over planting. We harvested on different days and continue to harvest. They counted their radishes and compared shapes and sizes. Some sorted them into bowls; others lined them up by color or size.

Fresh Radish from the garden

Illinois Early Learning Standards – Math

• 6.D.ECb: Describe comparisons with appropriate vocabulary such as “more,” “less,” “greater than,” “fewer,” “equal to,“or “same as.”

• 6. A.ECd: Connect numbers to quantities they represent using physical models and informal representations

Taste Test – Exploring the Senses

After harvesting, we grated the radishes and invited the children to taste them. Then came the conversations:

• What does it smell like?
• What does it taste like?
• Is it crunchy? Spicy? Bitter?

We also read Rah, Rah, Radish!—a lively book that introduced new foods and fun vocabulary, sparking even more curiosity. One child said, “I don’t eat spicy food.“ Another shared that their mom uses radish in soup. Some children were all in. Others politely passed. As always—it is an invitation, not a requirement.

the children tasting radish

Illinois Early Learning Standards – Language & Social Development

• 1.E.ECb: Exhibit curiosity and interest in learning new words heard in conversations and books

• 1.B.ECa: Use language for a variety of purposes. Follow simple one-, two-, and three-step directions

Beyond the Root – Using Radish Leaves and Pods

Our radish plants gave us more than just roots. As the season warmed, they flowered and produced pods—long, edible, and slightly spicy. The children used the flowers in their mud kitchen creations while I, Miss Sue, blended the leaves into smoothies and veggie dishes.

These moments gave us a chance to:

• Learn about edible plant parts.
• Try new textures and tastes.
• Practice gratitude and respect for nature.
• Watch the “radish trees“ (our term for the overgrown flowering pods) provide shade for other vegetables, such as kale, mustard greens, carrots, and spinach.

Radish flowers and pods

Rooted in Legacy: Why Gardening Belongs in Home Daycare

Radish gardening brought us a bountiful crop—one we’re still sharing with families as I write this blog. But beyond the food, it gave us a rhythm, conversation, connection, slow, intentional days, learning with purpose, and early years’ memories—and it helps keep burnout at bay.

This is the legacy we’re building in home daycare:

• Learning beyond worksheets
• Joyful outdoor learning in the garden
• Wonder that returns with each season.

And the truth is that children remember this kind of learning. Sometimes, years later, a family member will write a note, reminding me of the moments that are stuck in a child’s formative memory.

Invitation to draw radish – process art

Want to Garden with Kids in Your Home Daycare?

If you want to create gardening experiences like this in your own program, I invite you to join my course:

Seeds to Bloom: A Home Educator’s Guide to Gardening with Kids

This course provides you with step-by-step support to build a child-centered garden—even if you have only a patio or a few pots. You’ll learn how to integrate gardening into your daily routine, learning goals, and home daycare legacy.

Start your garden. Transform your rhythm. Leave a legacy.

Click here to enroll in Seeds to Bloom

Until next time,

I am Miss Sue—your educator in the trenches with you.

Xoxo, Miss Sue

See our lates blog on The Mulberry Tree we lost in the storm