Tag Archives: #outdooreducation #planting #growing #gardenupdate #earlyyears #science #STEM

Planting fun in the Cart Mill garden!

As the weather warms and signs of spring appear in our Cart Mill garden, last year’s bulbs are starting to bloom, adding bursts of colour to our outdoor space. Excited by this transformation, we’ve begun planning and planting for the year ahead.

Take a look at the mind map some of our children created recording their ideas for the 2024 garden.

The children eagerly shared their ideas for this year’s garden, and we’ve picked out seeds to sow based on their suggestions. Planting seeds isn’t just about digging in the dirt; it’s a chance for the children to learn how plants grow and how to take care of them.

In small groups, we’ve talked about what plants need to thrive. Some children mentioned “mud,” “water,” and “sun,” while others brought up tools like “spades and diggers.” Their enthusiasm and knowledge are growing alongside the seeds we’re planting. Through this hands on experience, we hope to develop a deeper connection to nature and a sense of responsibility for caring for our environment.

Take a look at the photos and children’s comments of todays planting. 😀

 

”Can we grow chillies so I can give them to my granda! He loves spicy”

“This seed is like a dried pea”

”Will they grow tall like a beanstalk?”

”You need to pat them down nice in the soil so they grow. We will need to give it water”

Respect for the views of the child (Article 12)

Health and health services (Article 24)

Education (Article 28)

Caring for our garden

Today in the Cart Mill garden Derek had a couple of helpers to check in on our seeds and see how they were coming along.  Take a look at some of our seedings starting to sprout up.

We looked at the seed trays and noticed that some of the pots had more than one seed growing in it. We decided to separate these so they would have more space to grow.

We gathered everything we needed compost, seed trays and our gardening tools. Using a stick we were very careful and removed the seedling. They were very fragile so we were super careful when we separated them.

We looked at the seedling and learned about the different parts. We discussed the stem, the leaves and one of the children identified the roots.

We filled the new trays with compost ready to plant one seeding in each space. Being super careful not to break the seeding we made a hole and planted them in their new homes.

“They will get big roots now”

“They will have more space”

Once we had planned the seeds in their new homes we watered them and placed in indoors so they are warm and ready to grow.

Article 28
You have the right to education.

Article 1
Everyone under the age of 18 has all the rights in the Convention