Welcome
to the Children's Garden and Exploring Toronto Programs and
our vision for Toronto! Our programs provide fun, hands-on
opportunities for children and youth to discover the hidden
wonders and meanings of Toronto's parks and gardens, while cultivating
physical, ecological and community health.
Check out
our school and summer programs and events!.
High Park Children’s Garden takes top prize in
David Suzuki Digs My Garden contest
Competing against 580 entries from across Canada, the High Park Children’s Garden was declared the winner in the 2008 David Suzuki Digs My Garden contest. The Children’s Garden was crowned as a pesticide-free garden leader in the community category for “Outstanding Ornamentals” which supports gardens that use native species to attract pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
For over 11 years, children have planted, tended and harvested a variety of organic fruits, vegetables and flowers from the garden, including tomatillos, eggplant, corn, okra, cucumbers, marigolds and sunflowers at the High Park Children’s Garden. The garden features colourful raised beds in the shape of the letters A, B, C, as well as a sandbox, birdhouse trellis, picnic shelter, tool shed and two rain barrels.
The David Suzuki Digs My Garden contest recognizes Canadians who are adept at growing beautiful lawns and gardens 'drug-free' and highlights inspiring stories of individuals and community groups and their respective gardens.
Watch this thank you video from David Suzuki
Adopt a Bale to help build the Children's Teaching Kitchen
Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation plans to build a teaching kitchen out of straw bales in the High Park Children's Garden. Find out what a straw bale is, why we want to build a kitchen with it and how you can help this sustainable facility become reality by downloading the Children's Teaching Kitchen brochure.
Spring
and Fall School Programs
The Children’s
Garden and Exploring Toronto Programs offer two exciting opportunities
for experiential learning for students in JK-Grade 8.
Children’s
Garden Programs: Garden programs provide students an opportunity
to participate in hands-on organic gardening activities like
planting, maintenance, composting and more. For more information,
please visit the Children’s Garden
Programs site.
Exploring
Toronto Programs: Exploring Toronto staff lead guided nature
walks through Toronto’s parks, ravines, gardens and neighbourhoods,
inspiring ecological awareness while promoting a healthy and
active lifestyle. For more information, please visit the Exploring
Toronto Programs site.
For more
information on either programs, or to register a class, please
contact us at kidsgrow@toronto.ca
or at (416)392-1329.
Hear what
students and teachers have to say about the Children’s
Garden and Exploring Toronto Programs!
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"Thank you for teaching me about nature. It was fun planting those cabbages. I wonder if the cabbage I planted grew?"
Grade 3 gardener
"I'm so excited! This is the first time I've seen a turtle!"
Grade 3/4 explorer
"Thanks for a lovely morning! This class needs a little of this farming everyday. Many of the kids never had their hands in the soil before. Also this program connects with the new curriculum 'Habitats" in grade 4".
Grade 4 teacher |
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"It was a great walk! I felt like I've shed my skin. I feel green and blue inside."
Grade 7-8 teacher |
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Over
the years, we have gathered a large team of volunteers who have
made an invaluable contribution to our programs. Our many thanks
are extended to all the volunteers who have helped us at recent
events and with special projects. Volunteers can assist
with regular programming, drop-in programs, community events
or special projects. Volunteer Mike Nevin, for example, spends
five hours at a time on Sunday events working the compost bins.
He takes time to explain to people how the bins can reach up
to 180 degrees celcius! Hobby-chef, Frank Iacobucci, has been
cooking for community events for eight years now. (You've got
to come by and try his callaloo or pesto vegetable pasta - you
won't regret it!). In 2002, Frank won a Community Volunteer
Award in "Outstanding Achievement" from Toronto's
Food and Hunger Action Committee for his contribution to our
programs. 
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