We all know the health and general wellness benefits from gardening; it can be calming, educational and encourage sustainable practices. It may be something that we recall watching our parents or grandparents enjoy when we were children, but why wait until we are a certain age before this is part of our lifestyle?
The idea of planting seeds, nurturing the sprouts, harvesting, and then eating produce, that may have been a challenge previously for some children, is now exciting and attractive as there is a curiosity to taste what has been grown.
This practice and experience offer children the opportunity to socialise and interact together as they develop an appreciation for nature and the cycle of plants. It gives children a sense of responsibility and patience being a caretaker and encourages discussions with friends and Co-workers regarding when to plant seeds based on seasons. It helps children develop a respect for the environment and simply smelling the fresh herbs and seeing the vibrant colours will stimulate their senses.
Numeracy and science concepts are part of the learning process, even if we are not aware of the intentional teaching happening in that moment. Counting seeds, measuring the water and understanding that the relationship between plants and the weather is vital to their health.
Composting food scraps, using worm juice from the worm farm to fertilise plants and using leftover water from drink bottles at the end of the day to water plants educates children on the importance of sustainability.
Food grown at our centres is either used in our lunches and snacks prepared by our cooks, or provided to families to take away and enjoy with their children at home.
We encourage families to try this at home also, make it fun for the children! Discuss what you will do and draw a plan, you don’t have to go with tradition. How about a ‘pizza vegetable garden’ where you can grow tomatoes, basil, oregano, and capsicum. Once they have been harvested you have your perfect topping; that’s the foundation of our ‘planter box to plate’ idea.
At KinderPark we encourage this within our program daily and stand by our value of ‘Planet Positive’ which in turn creates the foundation for lifelong learning together.
Together let’s taste the outcome of our hard work! The opportunities are endless.