Hands-on activities spotlight healthy local foods on Iowa Kids Garden Day

The first annual Iowa Kids Garden Day was a smash hit last month as several Iowa schools and early childhood centers registered to offer fun, dirt-filled activities celebrating healthy local foods.

Sponsored by the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition, the annual Iowa Kids Garden Day encourages communities to promote, grow and eat delicious local foods. It provides an opportunity for educators to lead garden planning, make classroom connections and talk about food safety with students and young learners. Through Iowa Kids Garden Day, schools, early childhood centers and community groups can foster strong relationships between educators, children and their families and local food growers, which can lead to lifelong healthy food habits and support for community-grown products.

“The Department is a proud partner of the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition,” said Meg Collins, nutrition education consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. “Through program opportunities and events like Iowa Kids Garden Day, children across the state can access and learn more about the importance of healthy local foods and how it can impact their overall development in fun and engaging ways.”

Schools, centers and other groups participating in Iowa Kids Garden Day on May 21 planned a gardening activity for their students and registered it through the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition. More than 100 organizations participated in this year’s Iowa Kids Garden Day. Some highlights of the many fun gardening activities across the state included:

A celebration at Irving Elementary School in Waterloo encouraged students to try new things. As an example, a boy planted a row of bean seeds and successfully watered them on his own. He had never watered plants in real life before as he had only done it in a video game prior to the event.

• At the South Tama County School Garden, K-4 students got their hands dirty by planting six apple trees to add to the school garden. The trees included honey crisp and wine crisp apple trees.
• For River Hills School in Cedar Falls, students were able to experience six different learning rotations on local foods. Students planted seeds, decorated rocks and garden markers, created produce and seed bags, participated in dirt and wood chip sensory activities, tried the photo booth and taste-tested different fruits and vegetables. Many of the students were able to try new produce like kale for the first time.
• The young learners at Mary Elizabeth Child Care and Preschool in Sioux City had many opportunities to learn about plants during Iowa Kids Garden Day. They also had fun planting seeds in different ways.
• At Drake University Head Start in Des Moines, one group of learners had an opportunity to plant different seeds like watermelon, radishes and flowers. A second group enjoyed planting vegetable pods and creating nature bookmarks. They also planted grass seeds to be used as front lawns for their miniature houses. Additionally, the group planted flowers, which they will be able to watch grow and eventually take home.

Iowa Kids Garden Day is set to occur the third Wednesday of May each year, and next year’s event is already scheduled for May 20, 2026. To learn more about Iowa Kids Garden Day and how you can participate in future events, visit the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition’s webpage.

Additional questions on Department local food initiatives can be directed to Meg Collins at meg.collins@iowa.gov.