On a gray and cloudy Earth Day, April 22, the preschool class at Concourse House in Kingsbridge contributed to the eco-friendly festivities occurring worldwide by planting flowers in their backyard.

The Busy Bees and the Teddy Bears, as the two preschool classes are called, separated into small groups to pot plants with the help of student volunteers from the Academy of Mount St. Ursula.

In the backyard of Concourse House, which provides transitional housing for women and their children, Executive Director Manuela Schaudt prepared the children for the morning activity. “We’re planting flowers to make the earth beautiful and to put oxygen into the air,” she said, holding up a tiny purple flower. “These are called pansies,” she said. “Can you say pansies?”

“Pansies,” the children repeated.

Though the children have been learning about seeds and plants in their classes, some were hesitant to get their hands dirty.

“Yuck,” said a few children laughing as they dipped their fingers into the dark brown soil and instantly smacked their hands together to get the dirt off.

“They’re a little freaked out,” said Schaudt, smiling. With the help of adult-sized gloves, the children dug holes in the soil, set the flowers in the pot and gingerly packed the dirt back over the roots of the flowers.

Soon the children will plant seeds in pots of soil, and in the summer, the children will plant a vegetable garden. “They will see where [fruits and vegetables] comes from, that it doesn’t come from the supermarket,” said Schaudt.