Organic learning through planting
Over the last year the children have watched, nurtured and waited for their harvest.
Pre-school learners from Huggy Bears in Bedfordview are taking a fun approach to learning valuable life skills outdoors.
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The learners started their own vegetable gardens at the school when lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Now, the avid gardeners are reaping their rewards and taking home bunches of fresh vegetables to share with their families.
Principal at the school Lisa Correia told the NEWS that following the hard lockdown, the learners needed something to lift their spirits.
“We needed to find a way to put a little energy back into the school and the children.”
She said the children had lost so much as a result of the pandemic, and gardening was a way for the school to lift their spirits.
“When we came back, there was still so much the children could not do, and gardening was a way for them to get outside and be free for just a little bit.”
Each child was allocated a portion of ground and parents were asked to send seedlings to the school.
Over the last year the children have watched, nurtured and waited for their harvest.
“The children absolutely love it. Everything we grow is done so organically. The children water their plants and look after their gardens every day,” Correia said.
She added that once harvested, the children take their vegetables home to share with their families.
“Our parents do not get to see what we do inside the school, so the children are eager to show off their gardening skills when it’s time to harvest.
“The look on their faces when they proudly show off what they’ve grown is priceless.”
She said some of the children didn’t have as much success as others, and that was a lesson of perseverance for the children.
“They learned they could start again and give it another go with the next growing season.
“Gardening is a life skill for the little ones. They are learning what they like to eat and learning about where the food they eat comes from,” said Correia.
She added that the school plans to continue with the practice and hopes it will foster a healthy habit for the little ones as they grow older.
“Now, if we had to go back into another hard lockdown, the little ones can share their gardening experience with their families.”
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