The Story-Telling Garden

This story-telling garden was built to provide an outdoor learning space to the children at Whitney Point Preschool and Daycare. It has been filled with 10-15 laminated books for children and adults to read together. It also provides a space for writing with chalk and writing with magnets. It is my hope that this garden will help to create a love for reading within the children at our center and will teach children that reading is enchanting. They can read books in the loft of the house, in a rocking chair, or even on the tractor.

This garden was also built to capture the memory of a very special preschooler, Allison Oney. The garden took on a farm and tractor theme because of her love for animals, the outdoors, and her tractor. I hope this is a place where her memory can be honored at our school. I am so thankful to have met Allie and to have shared a year of learning with her.

This is the only "before" picture that I remembered to take! But this is what our playhouse looked like before it got a makeover.


First, the tractor was delivered! We spread mulch around it to make it safe for play.

Then, my husband built the garden box and my Mom began planting. The children will be able to water these flowers and tend to them.

The Brownies Girl Scout troop helped us my making these beautiful garden stones. They were so creative and I love this hand-made touch that was added to the garden. 

The house received a coat of paint, my husband built a loft area for reading, and we added a chalkboard, a magentic board, and an I SPY ABC game. The beautiful photography used in the house was donated by a local photographer, Barbara Kim.

 This is the view of the whole story-telling garden. The tractor, the house, and the garden are all a part of it.

There are many, many people to thank who made this project possible. Whitney Point Preschool and Daycare, Kim Downs, the Board of Directors, my husband, Zach Whittaker, my parents, Wendy and Bob Madden, The Whittaker Family, County Line Lumber,The Amish Barn Company, Greene's Do-It Center, Staples, Lowes, the Smith Family, Beardsley Sawmill,  Ashley Howe and Family, Professor Christine Webb, Melissa Conklin, Barb Kim, Kida Family, Hand Family, Feathers Family, Kristi Rundell, Emily Jordan, Kim Somers, and the Brownie troop. 

A special thanks to Melissa Oney for allowing us to create this memorial for Allison. We will cherish her always and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing her with us at Whitney Point Preschool. 

Thank you to all of my friends and family near and far who supported this project. 

Made with love <3