Watch Garden Storytimes Through the Seasons

The 2024-2025 Garden Storytime Series is made up of LIVE storytimes! Our gardeners will read wonderful garden-themed books with a social emotional focus and have a “show and tell” about interesting plants. Both teachers and students will love these interactive learning sessions! All recordings and resources can be found here!

Fall Garden Storytime

📖 Runaway Pumpkins by Teresa Bateman

Let’s fall into gardening together! Join us to learn more about all the sizes and shapes that pumpkins can grow to be and the many ways this delicious food can be used during this time of year. 

Register Here for the live event on Nov. 14 at 1:00 p.m.

Winter Garden Storytime

📖 It’s Winter! by Linda Glaser

Even when snow is falling all around, the garden is full of life for us to observe and appreciate if we just know where to look! Come sing, read, and learn with us about the wonders of nature in winter. Sing along with us: Winter Slumbers

Register Here for the live event on Jan. 9 at 1:00 p.m.

Spring Garden Storytime

📖 How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival

Spring is right around the corner and we are ready to get those gardens started! Are you? Join us to learn how to say hello to worms and other tiny garden friends and how to grow and enjoy the fruits of spring together. Sing along with us: Spring Garden Song

Register Here for the live event on Mar. 13 at 1:00 p.m.

Summer Garden Storytime

📖 Mia Makes a Meadow by Rachel Lawston

Summertime is garden time! But not everyone’s dream garden looks the same. Join us for a story about neighbors working together and compromising to create a thriving meadow that people and pollinators can enjoy. Sing along with us: Summer Flowers

Register Here for the live event on May 8 at 1:00 p.m.

STORYTELLERS

FALL/WINTER STORYTIMES:

Sarah Pounders has been active in the field of youth gardening for over 20 years. Growing up surrounded by plants instilled a deep love of gardens and the desire to share that love with others. While working toward her master’s degree in Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, she had the opportunity to serve as a school garden coordinator and conduct research on the benefits of using school garden programs to teach nutrition. She went on to work at various botanical gardens, for Cooperative Extension in Virginia and Texas, and since 2005 as an education specialist at KidsGardening.org, coordinating numerous children’s gardens, writing curricula and activities for youth of all ages, teaching formal and informal youth education programs, and conducting teacher training sessions on integrating gardens into the classroom. Sarah also enjoys gardening at home with her two kids and volunteering with their school gardening projects.

SPRING/SUMMER STORYTIMES:

Noel Nicholas (she/her) is the educational content manager for KidsGardening, where she co-develops original educational materials designed to help kids play, learn, and grow through gardening. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from University of Southern California, where she developed a passion for informal education while teaching poetry at 32nd Street School/USC Magnet. Prior to joining KidsGardening, Noel worked as museum educator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, developing and delivering educational programs for diverse, multi-generational audiences, and managing the museum’s Storytime Live program. In her spare time she teaches in the school garden at Third Street Elementary in Los Angeles.

Pinky Jackalope (she/her) is a motivational associate with NHSA. She loves to learn new things and to share them with her Head Start and Early Head Start friends! Pinky’s favorite fruit is a banana and her favorite vegetable is the snap pea. Pinky loves watching flowers and herbs grow in container gardens.

Sponsors:

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation is deeply rooted in helping create healthier communities, empowering the next generation, and preserving our planet. Its support of the National Head Start Association includes providing GroMoreGood Garden grants, garden kits, educational curriculum, and garden training available to all Head Start programs with the goal of creating more edible gardens for young children and their families. The initiative also supports the creation of green space projects—land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation—as an option for children and the community to learn.

Want even more? Check out our Gardening with Kids Basics course provided by The Academy.