Top tips: Cultivating Curiosity through Gardening
There are numerous benefits of involving children in gardening experiences, including access to the natural environment, sensory rich activities, working together, promoting curiosity and observing cause and effect.
- Get together as a team to review the gardening opportunities you offer and ensure all children are included, for example, whether you have gardening activities for all age groups and abilities
- Bring in gardening experts to support your team knowledge, for example, parents or experts from your local allotment society
- Ensure your gardening experiences are inclusive to all children, for example, ensuring activities are appropriate and inclusive such as by providing different height planting beds so all children can access them
- Ensure any home learning activities are also inclusive, such as by including families without access to a garden
- Contact your local allotment and take the children on a visit to see the different range of fruit and vegetables that are grown
- Create your own ‘mini allotment’ using grow bags (if you have no outdoor space). Plant tactile plants such as ‘lambs ear’ for children to explore
- Involve children in planning for garden spaces, for example, a butterfly garden or a sensory area. Provide seed catalogues for children to choose their favourites
- Talk to local garden centres and allotment societies to get unwanted seeds, pots and plants to help start your own garden.
NDNA products to support you with this activity
Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be risk assessed, including for allergies or choking. Children must always have adequate supervision. Resources and materials must always be appropriate for children’s age and stage of development.
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