Indoor gardens for kindergartens and schools

A smart indoor garden lets a group of children sow seeds in October and still have something growing in February, with a grow light that does the work our dark winters cannot. This page is for kindergarten teachers, school teachers and directors who are wondering whether a garden would work in their group room or classroom, which plants are safe, what happens over the holidays and how to pay for it. We have tried to be honest about the limits as well as the good parts.

What children learn

Growing food indoors fits naturally into the Estonian preschool field “Mina ja keskkond” (Me and the environment), where children learn by observing, exploring, comparing and experimenting with things from their everyday surroundings. In a hydroponic garden the whole process is visible. Children see a seed swell, a root push through the sponge into the water and the first leaves turn towards the light. They can compare two plants, count leaves, measure height with a ruler, keep a picture diary and, at the end, taste what they grew. In school, the same garden becomes a small science experiment about light, water and nutrients.

Research supports the tasting part more than the technology. The US Community Preventive Services Task Force, drawing on a review of 14 studies (Savoie-Roskos et al. 2017), found that school gardening combined with nutrition education increased children’s vegetable intake in 12 of them. The effect in early childcare settings was unclear, and most of the studies were from the US. A smaller Australian study with 10- to 12-year-olds found that pupils who combined gardening with nutrition lessons became more willing to taste vegetables, although their actual intake did not change (Morgan et al. 2010). None of these studies used an indoor hydroponic garden, so we see the garden as a tool for teachers rather than a lesson in itself. Talking about food, tasting together and letting children do the work is what makes the difference.

Growing edible plants is already familiar in Estonian kindergartens. In a 2025 master’s thesis at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, nearly half of the Tartu municipal kindergarten managers interviewed said they had grown edible plants indoors and outdoors for about ten years. The main obstacles they named included summer care, which is exactly where planning ahead helps (Vosmi 2025).

Setups that work

A kindergarten group of about 20 children

One LetPot Air with 10 pods is enough for a group of about 20 children to share. Place it on a high shelf or counter where children can see it but the plug and cable are out of reach. Adults handle the water and the small baskets, and children take turns sowing, watching and harvesting. Next to it, a tray or sprouting jar of cress or sunflower microgreens gives the quickest result and something children can touch. The Air holds 4 litres of water, which lasts about 14 to 21 days, and costs €89.

A school class

For a class of 25 to 30 pupils, a 12-pod LetPot Senior (€129) or LetPot Lite (€109.99) gives room for comparison experiments, for example the same plant under different light hours or with different spacing. The Senior’s light rises to 76 cm, so it can also grow taller plants for a longer project. Older pupils can add the LetPot temperature and EC meter (€69) to measure the nutrient solution and record data over several weeks.

A library or school corner

A garden in a library, hallway or school canteen corner is a visible green spot that many classes can follow. A LetPot Air or Senior works well on a counter. If you want greenery without an app, a CitySens vertical planter with the digital watering timer grows plants in soil and waters them from a 7-litre base for about 30 to 60 days. The 3-pot version is 115 cm tall and stands on a base of 29 cm.

Child-safe plants

For kindergartens we recommend fast, edible, leafy plants that are safe to touch and taste:

• Basil, parsley, dill and chives
• Lettuce
• Cress, which shows results in a few days
• Peas, grown for their shoots
• Sunflower microgreens, grown on a tray or in a sprouting jar

We do not recommend tomatoes or chillies in kindergartens. They belong to the nightshade family, their leaves are not food, and Estonia’s draft rules for the kindergarten learning environment do not allow poisonous plants in group rooms. The explanatory memorandum even names the ornamental coral tomato (koralltomat) as an example. For older pupils in school, a tomato plant can be part of a longer supervised project.

If children eat what they grow, follow your kindergarten’s or school’s own food safety plan and allergy lists, as you would in a learning kitchen. We cannot give official approval for serving the harvest, and the decision is yours.

Safety in the room

• Cables and sockets. Put the garden near a socket that is child-proof or out of children’s reach, as Estonian kindergarten rules expect for group rooms, and fix the cable so it cannot be pulled.
• Water. Nothing connects to the water mains. The water stays in the garden’s own tank, 4 litres in the Air and 5.5 litres in the Senior. Place the garden on a stable, moisture-resistant surface and refill it with a jug, not a hose.
• Small parts. The baskets, germination covers and support rods are small. Keep the spare ones in a closed box and let adults handle them.
• Light. The LED light is bright. Keep the garden high enough that the light is above children’s eye level and tell them not to look straight into it.
• Hygiene and algae. Cover every empty pod slot with the light-blocking stickers in the box, because light reaching the water causes algae. Take off the germination covers once the seedlings are up to avoid mould on the sponges. Between grows, empty the tank, wash it with warm water and a little mild detergent, rinse well and let it dry.

The holiday plan

Gardens need someone to top up the water, so plan the school holidays before you sow. A Christmas or spring break of 2 to 3 weeks is workable with the right model if you fill the tank on the last day. A summer closure of 6 to 10 weeks is not. For summer, plan an end-of-season harvest in late May or June, then empty, clean, dry and store the garden and start again in September. You can read more in our article on keeping plants watered while you are away.

The Mini does not last through a two-week break, so we do not recommend it as the only garden in a kindergarten. Only the Max refills itself, from an external tank placed lower than the garden.

Electricity and running costs

A garden with a light of about 24 W running 16 hours a day uses roughly 140 kWh a year. At a business tariff of about €0.15 per kWh that is about €21 a year. The 36 W LetPot Max uses about 210 kWh, or about €31 a year. These figures cover the light, and the small pump adds a little more. Over a school year you will also need seeds (from €1.39 a packet), grow sponges (€24.99 for 200) and nutrients (€17.99 a bottle).

Paying for it

Most kindergartens and schools pay for a garden from their own budget for learning materials. In Estonia, a parent association sometimes funds extras like this, for example as a gift to the group at the end of the year, and the hoolekogu is a good place to raise the idea.

A note on grants, to save you time: the Environmental Investment Centre (KIK) environmental education calls mainly fund study programmes, cooperation, events and information materials. We have not seen them fund equipment on its own. If you are planning a larger environmental education project, a garden may fit as part of the project’s learning materials, but check the call conditions on kik.ee first. Our quotes are valid for 30 days, so ask for an updated one if your decision takes longer.

How to order

Public kindergartens and schools receive a written quote valid for 30 days and pay by invoice, net 30 days. We send e-invoices to Estonian public bodies. Our public sector page has the supplier details and VAT rules, and our business page explains all the ways to buy.

Request a quote

Tell us how many groups or classes you have, where the garden would stand and when you want to start. We suggest a setup and a seed plan.

Our online quote form is coming soon. Until then, e-mail your request to info@indoorgarden.ee with the details below and we reply within 1 working day.

• Organisation name
• Organisation type
• Country
• Registry code
• VAT number (optional)
• Contact person
• E-mail
• Phone
• What you need (products and quantities)
• Delivery deadline
• Delivery to one or many addresses
• E-invoice address or invoice e-mail
• Message

Frequently asked questions

Which garden is best for a kindergarten group?

For a group of about 20 children, one LetPot Air with 10 pods. It is large enough for everyone to have a turn, and its 4-litre tank lasts about 14 to 21 days.

Is it safe for small children?

The garden is a household appliance for adults to set up and look after, not a toy. Keep the plug and cable out of reach, place it on a stable surface and let adults handle water and small parts. Children can sow, watch and harvest under supervision.

Which plants can we grow in a kindergarten?

Herbs such as basil, parsley, dill and chives, lettuce, cress, pea shoots and sunflower microgreens. We do not recommend tomatoes or chillies for kindergartens.

Can the children eat what they grow?

Many kindergartens and schools do harvest and taste together. Follow your own food safety plan and allergy lists, as in a learning kitchen.

What happens over the Christmas holidays?

Fill the tank on the last day. A LetPot Air, Lite, Senior or Max lasts about 2 to 3 weeks or more, which covers a normal Christmas break.

And over the summer?

No model runs unattended for 6 to 10 weeks. Plan a final harvest before the summer closure, then empty, clean and store the garden and restart in September.

How much electricity does it use?

About €21 a year for a garden with a light of about 24 W and about €31 a year for the LetPot Max, at 16 hours a day and about €0.15 per kWh.

How do we stop algae and mould?

Cover empty slots with the light-blocking stickers in the box, remove the germination covers once seedlings appear and clean the tank between grows.

Does a teacher need the app?

The app sets the light schedule and sends low-water reminders. Use a shared work e-mail for the account and keep the app with staff. It has an 18+ App Store rating and is not for children. Our public sector page has a fuller note on data.

Are there instructions in Estonian?

The manufacturer’s manuals are not available in Estonian, Finnish, Latvian or Lithuanian. We answer setup questions by phone and e-mail, and we can do a setup call online.

Can we get KIK funding for a garden?

KIK’s environmental education calls mainly fund programmes, events and materials, not equipment on its own. Check the current call conditions on kik.ee. Most kindergartens use their own budget or support from the parent association.

How do we pay?

Public kindergartens and schools pay by invoice, net 30 days. You can also pay online by bank link or card.

Do you visit to set it up?

In the Tallinn area we can make a setup visit by agreement. Elsewhere we offer a setup call online.

Start with one garden

Most groups start with one garden and learn what works for them. Send us a quote request or call us and we help you choose.