The children and Educators at our Bruce Ridge Early Childhood Centre (BRECC) have been having lots of fun out in the garden over the last few weeks, with our Director, Arianne, being very excited to have joined such an enthusiastic team of gardeners!

In the Kurrajong veggie garden, children have been busy weeding and planting. They have loved the physical activity of pulling up the weeds with their hands, then digging holes for the plants and taking turns putting them into the soil. There is something about getting hands dirty that remains a constant favourite with children! It also had the added benefit of improving the children’s physical development, as they used spades and gardening forks and carried the watering cans uphill.

Since the team established the garden beds, the children at BRECC have been diligently caring for the plants, watering them daily and feeding the worms. They also painted on the edges of the garden beds and on the ground nearby to help bring the area to life.

The first batch of seed balls the children planted, made of dough and soil, contained rosemary, mint and basil seeds. The first sprouts have come up, filling the air with their fragrance, and the children have loved engaging their senses by rubbing the leaves against their fingers, smelling them, or just having a little munch for the flavour! Mint was the all-around favourite.

This project has also provided a fun way to engage the students in biological sciences by getting them to think about how plants grow and their place in the wider ecosystem. Once the vegetables they planted are ready to harvest, it will provide informal opportunities to practice numeracy skills by counting the number of vegetables picked. The produce will also provide opportunities for the children to prepare and try new healthy foods.