How learning gardens foster well-being and development through the promotion of purposeful play in early childhood and beyond

Play is essential to learning and development in the early childhood years. Young children experiment with new skills through play, which supports the development of new competencies and furthers cognitive development. Nontraditional learning spaces such as teaching and learning gardens provide excellent opportunities for children to engage in purposeful play that supports their well-being, cognitive and identity development, and promotes positive emotional experiences. Self-determination theory, cognitive psychology, and developmental psychology offer useful frameworks for understanding how play in school gardens can improve motivation and promote meaningful learning in the early childhood years and beyond. Benefits reported in the literature of incorporating school gardens into teaching and learning experiences include opportunities for learners to satisfy the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, increased positive emotions, opportunities to renew cognitive and emotional energies, and tangible evidence of efforts linked to initiative and industry of students who care for plants and animals in the garden. Recommendations include long-term planning for funding school garden programs and supporting teachers in incorporating purposeful play in the garden into learning.