From the Garden to the Table: Nursery Students Learn About Healthy Eating

Interdisciplinary project incorporates music, storytelling, planting, and tasting to promote conscious eating habits.

In May, students in Nursery 2 and 3 participated in the "From Garden to Table" project, an initiative of the Early Childhood Nutrition Department. The project invites children to explore food and nutrition through a hands-on, interdisciplinary, and playful experience that spans from planting to tasting.

The project unfolds in four stages. The first is musical. To kick things off, Ms. Manuela Câmara, the Early Childhood music teacher, leads a session filled with songs that introduce the theme of healthy eating in an engaging and accessible way. Music helps spark interest and opens up conversations about food—its names, flavors, colors, and origins.

In the second stage, our librarian, Ms. Camila Cirino, leads a storytelling session that walks the children through the journey food takes before reaching their plates. Through the narrative, students learn that food has a story, follows a process, and involves the hands of many people before arriving at the table.

Next, students head to the campus garden for a mint planting activity. In this stage, guided by our nutritionist, Ms. Marta Magalhães, each student plants and cares for their mint sprig, engaging their senses—touch, smell, sight, and the patience that nature requires. The experience strengthens their connection to nature and to the food they eat.

The project concludes with a tasting session. Students enjoy pineapple and mint juice—made with the mint they planted themselves—alongside a colorful selection of fruits. This sensory-rich experience reinforces the importance of healthy eating and expands their food repertoire.

Through initiatives like this, School of the Nations seeks to support the holistic development of students by connecting academic learning with real-life practices. Learning extends beyond the classroom and contributes to the formation of responsible, conscious citizens.