Napean Nipper Pre-school in St Austell, Cornwall, was shocked to find that intruders had broken plant pots, trampled on the newly-planted vegetable garden and let out the nursery's guinea pig.
Nursery manager Lee Davey made the discovery upon opening the nursery for the breakfast club on the Tuesday. 'It was soul-destroying seeing the garden,' she said. 'The garden had been a project for the children to help teach them about caring for the environment and animals.'
Following an appeal for help on local radio, the nursery received more than 20 donations in a week from local residents, businesses and organisations, including plants, bulbs and equipment.
Staff from the Eden Project in Cornwall also donated plants and invited the pre-school children to visit the attraction. The local comprehensive school's gardening club invited the children to join them for a session.
Work to transform the nursery's outdoor space, which is shared with Nanpean Community Primary School, began more than two months ago with the aid of money from a government grant voted for by members of the community.
Ms Davey said, 'The children have found it really hard to understand why someone would want to destroy something they worked so hard at and enjoyed. Fortunately, we have been able to take something positive away from this negative experience, thanks to the generous donations we have received. There has been a real sense of community spirit.'
Staff and children will start working on the garden again this week with the help of local residents who have volunteered their time to help.
The nursery is also hoping to install CCTV cameras to deter any vandals in the future.