At the priory day care group we like to encourage the children to grow plants and vegetables.
Gardening and growing vegetables helps to promote all of the areas of learning within the Early Years curriculum, in a hands on fun and exciting way. There is a big emphasis on developing communication and also Personal, social and emotional development through working with others. Scientific understanding of seeds, bulbs, lights, water and pest control opens childrens curiosity and generates many questions which aid their questioning understanding skills.
This year, to add a little extra excitability we decided to introduce a bit of competition to the events by holding a potato growing challenge to see which setting could grow the most potatoes 🙂
Each of our settings were given 4 tubs and 2 different types of potatoes, Charlotte and Desiree. In May they planted the tubers in the tubs of compost, fed and watered them and watched them grow over the summer. Which setting grew the most potatoes? All will be revealed next week.
Alongside the potatoes, the children also grew onions, garlic , cabbages, tomatoes and broccoli. The children lovingly looked after the plants and had great delight in digging them out of the ground, helping to wash, cook and then eat them!!!! What a huge sense of achievement (for the staff as well as the children!!)
Well done to everyone involved, lots of hard work and effort but it was all worth it
