"Back Pocket" Garden Activities

Back Pocket Garden Activities (View all ten activities from this player, click the arrows)
The following videos demonstrate what we, here at Life Lab, refer to as "back pocket activities." These are all quick, easy, and highly engaging activities that require minimal preparation. We suggest always having one or more of these activities ready to go (or "in your back pocket") in case your lesson ends a few minutes early, or you have a few kids to keep occupied while the others are finishing a task. From searching for the colors of the rainbow to making jewelry from flowers, the activities featured in these videos can be done again and again, with kids seeing and learning new things each time they do them.

Worm Composting

Learn to compost with worms. Video goes over selecting a container, starting a worm bin, caring and troubleshooting.

Worm Composting Basics http://www.compostsantacruzcounty.org/Home_Composting/Worm_Composting/index.htm

The Worm Guide: Vermicomposting Guide for Teachers http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/schools/Curriculum/Worms/default.htm

Additional Worm Composting Links http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/schools/Links/Garden.htm

http://www.compostsantacruzcounty.org/School_Composting/links.htm

Life Lab's 30th Birthday

Life Lab turned 30th and we celebrated with a garden party for the community. Check out our cake that was so big that it didn't fit through the door and how the Banana Slug String Band rocked the garden tunes. Learn more about our birthday events throughout the year.

Project Food Lab

They really have something great going at Pacific Elementary School in Davenport, CA. Since 1984 the Food Lab Program, in cooperation with the school's Life Lab Garden Program, has been cooking the school lunch for students and staff!

Compost Sifting Lesson

Garden instructor Jane Forbes of Westlake K-5 in Santa Cruz, CA teaches 2nd graders about compost. This 13 minute video is created from a 45 minute lesson of children learning about decomposition by sifting composting and exploring the garden.

School Garden Learning Stations

3rd Grade Mar Vista Elementary School Teacher Colleen Riggen and parent volunteers lead students in garden activities.

"Salad Bowl" Fundraiser Lesson

Garden Teacher Caprice Potter leads 4th graders in potting up "cut and come salad bowls" for Gateway's School Garden Plant Sale. Visit the Gateway school garden blog to learn more about year round teaching at the Gateway garden

Lettuce Spring Roll Lesson

Garden Nutrition Educator Jessica Curcio leads a small group of first grade students in the Gault School Garden Kitchen.

Creating School Garden Rules

Hear from three Life Lab Garden Instructors and one 3rd Grade Teacher on how they generate and share their school garden rules. Download the Effective Outdoor Management in School Gardens handout.

40 Years of School Garden Instruction

The following videos are interviews with Garden Teacher Jane Forbes of Westlake K-5, 3rd Grade Teacher Colleen Riggen of Mar Vista K-5, and Garden Teacher Caprice Potter of Gateway K-8. Collectively these three garden educators have close to 40 years of teaching children in a garden setting. Download the Effective Outdoor Management in School Gardens handout.

Jane Forbes Garden Teacher since 2002 talks about discipline in the garden, encouraging exploration, group management techniques and more.


3rd Grade Teacher Colleen Riggen of Mar Vista Elementary talks about enlisting the help of parent volunteers, managing a whole class in the garden at once, her school's gardening tradition and more.


Since 1987 Caprice Potter has been the Garden Teacher at Gateway K-8. This interview distills her 20 plus years of experience in to a 14 minute video. Well that might be a stretch but she does have some great tips to share on getting kids involved in the garden, year round crop planning, maintaining the garden and much more.

Spring Scavenger Hunt

Garden Instructor Susan Dahlgren leads first graders in a garden scavenger hunt. This 7 minute video highlights a 20 minute lesson at Gault K-5 School Garden in Santa Cruz, CA.

Flower Anatomy Lesson

Caprice Potter has been a garden teacher since 1987 at Gateway K-8 in Santa Cruz, CA. This 13 minute video highlights a 40 minute flower anatomy lesson taught in the spring of 2008. Visit the Gateway Life Lab Garden blog to learn more what's being taught in the garden.

A Life Lab Garden Is...

The Power of School Gardens

This presentation was created as an introduction to CSGN's Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden Workshop. It can be downloaded, along with other CSYSG workshop materials at: http://www.csgn.org/page.php?id=75