Storytime with Kids
Here are some ideas about structuring your storytime to include some garden-related and seed saving ideas. These are submitted by Everett Public Library in Everett, WA, USA as part of their Curious Academy GARDENS program. Storytime plan 1, Storytime plan 2, Storytime plan 3. Consider bringing in seed saving activities like shelling peas or bean seeds and using our coloring books. (See below.)
Coloring Pages
These downloadable, coloring pages can be added to storytime or just have them sitting around for library patrons to take and share with their kids. If you go to Canva you can download them and customize them by adding your own branding or seed library information. Coloring pages include how to save beans, peas, tomatoes, and lettuce. Full disclosure, they were created using Canva's AI tool. While we would love to be able to pay for an artist to create these as a 100% volunteer organization that relies on community donations, we didn't have the capacity to do that. You can easily make your own copy and edit the text, branding, or activities to fit your program or community needs. Here are the PDFs. (Spanish, French, and Portuguese coming soon.)
Coloring Books
These downloadable coloring books are a fun, hands-on way to teach kids about gardening, seed saving, and the full growing cycle from seed to harvest. Designed for libraries, classrooms, and families, they pair perfectly with story time programs, garden lessons, and take-home learning activities.
Librarians can incorporate the coloring books into themed story times by reading a gardening-related book and sending children home with a matching coloring book and seeds to plant. The accompanying seed-saving zine also provides parents and caregivers with simple information about saving seeds and donating them to local seed libraries or community programs. For adults, provide the Zines that have planting, seed saving and donating information. Here are customizable versions in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese or access the PDFs. Make a copy to edit. (Read more about the zines on our Seed Returns page.
These resources are also ideal for teachers, homeschool families, and parents who want to introduce children to full-cycle gardening in an engaging and creative way.
All files are hosted on Canva, making them fully customizable. Full disclosure, they were created using Canva's AI tool. While we would love to be able to pay for an artist to create these as a 100% volunteer organization that relies on community donations, we didn't have the capacity to do that. You can easily make your own copy and edit the text, branding, or activities to fit your program or community needs.
Librarians can incorporate the coloring books into themed story times by reading a gardening-related book and sending children home with a matching coloring book and seeds to plant. The accompanying seed-saving zine also provides parents and caregivers with simple information about saving seeds and donating them to local seed libraries or community programs. For adults, provide the Zines that have planting, seed saving and donating information. Here are customizable versions in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese or access the PDFs. Make a copy to edit. (Read more about the zines on our Seed Returns page.
These resources are also ideal for teachers, homeschool families, and parents who want to introduce children to full-cycle gardening in an engaging and creative way.
All files are hosted on Canva, making them fully customizable. Full disclosure, they were created using Canva's AI tool. While we would love to be able to pay for an artist to create these as a 100% volunteer organization that relies on community donations, we didn't have the capacity to do that. You can easily make your own copy and edit the text, branding, or activities to fit your program or community needs.
