Educator Resources & Guides
City Blossoms’ Educator Resources & Guides offers free, downloadable tools to support garden-based learning in schools and community spaces. From our School Garden Guide and Greenhouse Manual to activity workbooks and design templates, these resources make it easier for educators to create, sustain, and integrate gardens into their curriculum. Whether you are new to outdoor education or building on existing programs, these guides provide practical steps and inspiration to help youth and communities thrive.
Cultivating young leaders
City Blossoms and the U.S. Botanic Garden have teamed up to bring you this free, downloadable workbook. This innovative resource, informed by our Youth Entrepreneurship Cooperative (YEC) program, is complete with templates and tools to support anyone interested in connecting high school youth with gardens and entrepreneurship skill-building.
Greenhouse manual
The U.S. Botanic Garden, National Center for Appropriate Technology, and City Blossoms have teamed up to develop this award winning, introductory manual for educators wanting to better use new or existing greenhouses for educational purposes. The manual clearly and concisely lays out a basic understanding of greenhouses, how to integrate them into lessons, and how to effectively use greenhouses in classroom curricula and out-of school activities. We are proud to announce that this manual has been awarded 2nd place in the American Alliance of Museums Education Category of their Publications Awards.
our first harvest
Our First Harvest is a bilingual, garden-based curriculum that turns outdoor play into hands-on learning. With activities like planting, digging, and sharing harvests, kids build curiosity, healthy habits, and connections with their community. Great for educators, families, and anyone who wants to see our youth grow while their gardens do too!
Nature Play
This free, bilingual pdf outlines everything you would find in a City Blossoms Nature Play Box. Many of these items can be collected for free, so this box is low cost and versatile. We’ve also included some of our favorite ideas for independent stations and activities to try either in the garden or any other green space. This resource can also be adapted into a backpack, for mobile use!
What’s In our Library?
Gardens are a great place to enjoy a book together. This free pdf is a compilation of City Blossoms’ favorite books for kids and their educators. This resource includes over 200 garden, nature, and food-themed books for children ages two through ten.