Even the youngest children have begun learning the principles behind the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project.

At the day care run by Vitality Project ambassador Patty Peek, the children are learning how to raise a simple garden of tomatoes, peas, green beans, carrots, lettuce and cucumbers.

As an ambassador for the project — which is aimed at helping Albert Leans live longer, healthier lives — Peek said she’s learned that gardening is one of the recommendations for daily physical activity.

“I thought it would be a good thing to get them involved in,” she said.

A week ago, the group, along with the help of Peek’s mother, Mary Ann Petersen, planted the vegetables in a 4-foot-by-8-foot garden box. They took turns planting all of the vegetables by seed, except for the cucumbers, which they started by small plants. The tomatoes had been planted previously in her yard.

She said the children go out to the garden every day and will be watering and weeding it throughout the summer.

“They’re very excited,” Peek said.

On Wednesday, she taught a lesson about sprouting seeds, and she hopes that by the end, the children will be encouraged to eat the vegetables. This is not always the case with children eating their vegetables, she noted.

She said she hopes to present a curriculum this summer about gardening and planting. She cares for 10 children ranging in age from 11 months to 5. Her son, 10, is also helping.

According to experts, gardening is a central activity in all of the world’s Blue Zones, or areas where people live the longest, healthiest lives.

It provides regular, low-intensity range-of-motion exercise, stress reduction and fresh vegetables.