At Day One ELC we are keen gardeners, with a variety of edible and visual gardens at all our centres.

Children can learn new skills, have fun, play and develop self-confidence by spending time in the garden tending plants and growing their own food. Most children enjoy being outdoors and love digging in the soil, getting dirty, creating things and watching plants grow.

Children learn from growing things

People of all ages can enjoy gardening, but children in particular will have lots of fun and gain special benefits. Gardening is educational and develops new skills including:

• Responsibility – from caring for plants
• Understanding – as they learn about cause and effect (for example, plants die without water, weeds compete with plants)
• Self-confidence – from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown
• Love of nature – a chance to learn about the outdoor environment in a safe and pleasant place
• Reasoning and discovery – learning about the science of plants, animals, weather, the environment, nutrition and simple construction
• Physical activity – doing something fun and productive
• Cooperation – including shared play activity and teamwork
• Creativity – finding new and exciting ways to grow food
• Nutrition – learning about where fresh food comes from.

Activities for a child in the garden

Choose activities that suit the child’s age. Suggestions include:

• Watering the garden
• Digging
• Picking flowers
• Planting vegetables, fruits and flowers in the correct season
• Feeding the worms and using the ‘worm tea’ from the worm farm as fertiliser
• Picking vegetables and fruits when they are ready to eat
• Preparing healthy food, such as making salads and preparing school lunches
• Craft activities using harvested seeds, plants and flowers
• Composting, recycling and mulching
• Weeding
• Gathering seeds and dried flowers
• Deadheading flowers
• Preparing the soil with organic fertiliser
• Replanting and re-potting.