Background information

Content information for educators (also suitable for parents): Growing your own food is one of the biggest and most satisfying ways to increase the sustainability of your lifestyle. Gardening is great for physical and mental health and wellbeing. Growing your own food saves money, reduces your intake of harmful chemicals, and you know where your food comes from. Not to mention it tastes so much better!

Children can be fussy eaters, but often if they are involved in growing the food, they are more likely to eat it, and also to try new foods. Children are often unaware of where their food comes from, thinking it comes wrapped in plastic from the supermarket. It is important that they experience and appreciate where their food comes from, and what is required in order to grow it.

Homegrown vegetables and fruit can look different from those found in the supermarket, different shapes, colours, textures and flavours. Exploring these attributes of homegrown vegetables with children, and explaining that they still taste good, no matter their shape or colour. In fact, they can bring some excitement and wonder to the plate!

Children learn many things by growing their own food: Health, nutrition and what is good for their bodies; how to nurture another living thing; patience; teamwork; the circle of life; every creature, big and small, has an important job to do; and how to reuse and repurpose all kinds of things – the possibilities are endless.

An edible garden is more than just fruit and vegetables, it may also include edible flowers, herbs, insects like bees or animals like chickens. Edible gardens are great for children, you can use edible gardens to create wonderful places to play or to enhance their sensory experiences outside. Edible plants often smell great as well.

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow" – Audrey Hepburn

Planting Seeds from The Little Veggie Patch Co on Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/66451462

Definitions:

Edible Garden: A garden that uses a range of plants that can be eaten including fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs. It may also integrate the use of animals that produce food such as chickens and bees.
Organic Food: Food grown without the use of synthetic or harmful chemicals.
Companion Planting: Growing plants together that that will assist each other in some way, like deterring pests, improving growth, enhancing flavour, attracting beneficial insects, or fixing nitrogen.
Permaculture: A system for growing food that works with natural systems and processes.
Seasonal Produce: Times of year when a given type of food is at its peak, either in terms of harvest or flavour.

New words for children to learn:

Seed
Seedling
Vegetable
Herb
Grow
Seasonal
Edible

Activity

Sensory Garden: Ages - 0 to 2

What to do:

Preparation: Gather a range of edible plants with varying textures, smells and flavours (vegetables, fruits, herbs). You will also need pots or a prepared garden bed and herb seedlings or seeds.

Allow the children to explore the edible plants through touch, smell and taste. Add them to foods they may be familiar with and see how flavours change (basil and tomato, carrot and ginger). You can also plant a garden bed or some pots with herbs and watch them grow.

Provocations:

I wonder if we could eat that?
I wonder what that tastes like?
I wonder if that smells good?
I wonder what our plants need to grow?
I wonder how long it will take to get bigger / to grow?

Possible lines of development:

Grow some vegetables from seed.
Try some different recipes using unusual fruit or vegetables or combinations of flavours and share them with families (include some pictures of their child tasting the food).
Make some finger paint using pureed fruit.
Include your herbs in other activities such as playdoh.
Cook with the herbs you have grown (pizza or pasts with tomato, basil, oregano, etc).
Growing and healthy bodies.
Make a fairy garden or “small world” on a pot using edible plants.
Create a sensory maze using herbs or other fragrant plants.

Build a Bean Teepee: Ages - 2 to 3

What to do:

Preparation: Gather 6 long bamboo poles; some rope to lash them at the top; some twine, and some bean seeds (try a few varieties that grow on vines). Soak your bean seeds overnight. Chose a spot in the yard to make your tepee (this can be a temporary structure).

Step 1:

Find a spot. How big a spot depends on how big your poles are. You want to make it big enough for 2-3 children to fit inside.

Step 2:

Tie some rope around the top of the poles to secure them.

Step 3:

Spread them out in a circular shape at the bottom (you may need to dig them in a bit for extra stability).

Step 4:

Create a lattice effect by running the twine around the poles (do a lap of each pole on the way around. Do this all the way up at about 20cm intervals (this gives the beans something to climb on).

Step 5:

Have the children plant about 3 bean seeds around the base of each pole and two or three in between each pole as per the instructions on the packet.

Step 6:

Give the beans a good water and watch them grow into an amazing play space and pick the beans to snack on.

Step 7:

Measure the beans each week to check they are growing (discuss what they need to grow and what the children can do to look after them).

Provocations:

I wonder how long the beans will take to grow?
I wonder if we could use other plants to build something?
I wonder how long it will be before the beans will grow?
I wonder what our plants need to grow?
I wonder what our bodies need to grow?

Possible lines of development:

Growing your own herbs and veggies
Make a sunflower archway over a path
Cook up some of your beans, how many ways can you cook them?

Seed to Table: Ages - 3 to 5

What to do:

Preparation: Select a range of edible seeds and seedlings (try some unusual varieties – purple carrots, different size and shaped tomatoes, plants that grow in different ways (trees, vines, underground, bushes, etc). Make sure you pick the right plants for the season you are planting in too!

Select a garden bed, create a garden bed or range of containers suitable for the plants you have chosen. If you need help, check out Sustainable Gardening Australia for tips and advice. Otherwise you will probably find a keen gardener within your community of families or staff members (if you have a cook, try them first!). There are also plenty of people with knowledge in the broader community, try contacting your local community garden, you might even fond a volunteer or two willing to come and give you a hand.

Step 1:

Prepare the garden beds or containers with good quality soil. Remember to check if there is enough sunlight, shelter, access to water, etc. in the place you have chosen.

Step 2:

Follow the directions for planting the seeds or seedlings as per the instructions on the pack or tag. Remember some seeds benefit from an overnight soaking before planting. Consider the principles of companion planting, planting plants together that benefit each other or occupy different space (above and below ground).

Step 3:

Discuss with the children the needs of the plants (watering, weeding, enough space, not being stood on, etc). Work out a plan for them to nurture the plants as they grow.

Children can measure plants as they grow, monitor rainfall and weather, weed the garden, investigate the bugs and other creatures in the garden (talk about helpful and harmful creatures in the garden) what are their jobs?

Once your fruit and vegetables are ready to harvest, collect them and talk about how they are different from vegetables and fruit from the supermarket. Do they taste different, are the different shapes or colours, do they have roots and leaves, can you eat them too (carrots, beetroot)? Taste the vegetables, cut them up and look inside. Research some cookbooks with the children and try some new ways to cook your produce.

Share the recipes with families.

Provocations:

I wonder what edible plants we could plant?
I wonder if there are any flowers that are edible?
I wonder what our plants need to grow?
I wonder what we need to grow?
I wonder if purple carrots taste the same as orange carrots?
I wonder how long it will take before we see the vegetables / fruit?
I wonder what is going on under the ground?
I wonder if the creatures are good for the plants?
I wonder what your favourite way to eat this is?
I wonder if we have to cook this before we eat it?
I wonder if these plants would grow if we planted them at another time of year?
I wonder what grows well here at this time of year?

Possible lines of development:

Make a calendar showing when to plant different fruit / veggies / herbs etc. in your area (share it with your families).
Establish a partnership with your local community garden, they are a wealth of information and a great place to meet enthusiastic gardeners (maybe they might come and share some tips with you and the children).
Share produce with others (have a market day, all proceeds to your next crop / garden bed / or charity).
Invite families for a meal to share the ‘fruits of your labour’.
Cooking your produce – mix it up, try different flavour combinations, varieties, ways of cooking (roasting, boiling, frying, bbq, etc).
Consider chickens for your yard.
How are different vegetables and fruits used by different cultures.
Make a scarecrow.
Make a rain gauge and monitor rainfall throughout the year.
Minibeasts – the important jobs that creatures in the garden do (worms, pollinators etc).

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenges and persists when difficulties arise
Well being	Being involved

Embedding into daily practice

Use the produce from your garden where you can in cooking in the service.
Use as much organic or local produce as possible.
Share produce with your families.
Consider seedling fundraisers (herbs, vegies or flowers).
Model eating a range of fresh healthy fruit and vegetables and try new things.
Create connections with your local community garden and get involved, encourage families to get involved too.

Edible Gardens

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