Our Class is a Family Garden Display is an engaging resource designed for the start of your school year. Inspired by Shannon Olsen’s heart-warming story, this activity is all about making your classroom feel like a big, happy family.

We recommend beginning this activity by reading the Our Class is a Family book to your students. The book includes many ways that a classroom is like a type of family. One of those many ways depicted in the book is by having a class garden.

This resource includes a banner, planter box, grass, and vegetable cut outs so you can make your own class garden display. Set up a display board in your classroom to create your very own class garden. Students will then personalise their vegetable cut outs by writing their names on them as a symbol of the growth they will make throughout the school year. They’ll not only grow individually but grow together as a class as well. Editable vegetables have also been included as an added layer to the activity. These can be used in a variety of ways; however, we suggest including class values you establish with your students at the beginning of the school year as a visual representation that those values will grow with them as a class as the year progresses.

Each vegetable can be decorated in several ways and suggestions have been included in the download. As an additional option, we have provided a printable writing activity. Students complete the sentence “I am growing…” with a class value for the year e.g. kindness, sharing, politeness, etc. Space has been provided for students to draw a representation of their value and also extra lines to write how they will do this.

Simply download and print in full-colour or black and white on thick cardstock for a beautiful display that is sure to inspire your students and make them feel a special part of your class family.This resource downloads as an editable PowerPoint.