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Objective: to identify the toxic plants present in the school environment. Method: observational and descriptive-interpretative study. The research was carried out in day care centers and public schools in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which serve the first segment of elementary education, from February 2008 to November 2010. For the data collection, the field book and the Photographic resource. The images were treated by the iconographic analysis and the distribution of the varieties of toxic plants found occurred through tables. Results: in the universe of 69 educational institutions visited, 58 housed at least one toxic plant. Two preventive measures were pointed out, the withdrawal of species corroborated by Law No. 5,731 and the creation of educational gardens based on the strategy of using toxic plants in schools as an instrument of education and training. Conclusion: the creation of educational gardens in schools should be encouraged and in public spaces where there are toxic plants scattered with the others, it is suggested the identification of the species, in order to broaden people's knowledge about this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]