Garden at a kindergarten

Connecting children with nature is very important, especially while creating a friendly kindergarten environment. In order to improve that green connection, we were invited to create a garden at YMCA kindergarten in Thessaloniki. This was a challenging and inspiring task since the whole project was dedicated to children.

The garden, which mostly includes herbs, is 100% child friendly and its educational purpose is reflected in the fact that children can learn many things about the plants and their uses by interacting with nature. The garden we created is enriched with garden furniture including installations where children can plant kitchen plants and learn about gardening basics. There they can observe how the plants grow and change, what are the differences between them and even learn how to grow their own plants and take care of them.

Experience of being in nature and close to it is important for children starting from an early age. In a kindergarten, where preschool kids usually spend lots of their time, a nice garden can provide a strong connection with nature as well as a refreshing outdoor place.

This impressive green space was not the only result of the team’s creativity, which was also expressed in another unique way. A children’s book author who loves her work and easily identifies herself with kids, made her valuable contribution. Leda Varvarousi wrote an interesting book accompanied by her own illustrations, having in mind that for children a picture is worth a thousand words.

We believe that both this book and our green contribution will bring a positive change in the life of the children experiencing the results of our creations.

What do you think is important to consider while implementing green in a child friendly environment? How would you design a garden at a kindergarten?