Shownotes
This week, we’re joined by Clare King, one of our Curriculum Consultants at early Excellence, as we talk about the importance of gardening and growing with young children. We offer practical advice on getting started, what you’ll need, and how to successfully grow vegetables with young children.
Transcripts
00:00
Here at Early Excellence, we specialise in early childhood education. We offer expert advice and guidance through training, consultancy and classroom design. With the Early Excellence podcast, we aim to inspire and support you as well as challenge your thinking. So, if that's what you're looking for, you've come to the right place.
00:25
Hello everybody, Andy Burt here. Welcome along to episode 107 of the Early Excellent podcast. In this week's episode, I'm joined by one of my colleagues on the curriculum team at Early Excellence. I'm joined by Claire King. And although the weather might not be getting much warmer just yet, Claire joins us to talk all about the brilliant experience, the brilliant activity of gardening and growing vegetables.
00:53
And so now is actually the perfect time to get started on thinking about and planning out actually what you're going to do in terms of gardening and growing vegetables. And so we gave it some thought and we talked it through. So we talk about what you'll need, what you'll need to get started, what you'll need to know about. We talked about what sorts of vegetables to grow. We also talk about the all important curriculum links as well and offer lots of practical guidance. So here you go. Here's my early excellent.
01:23
podcast chat with Claire King.
01:32
Claire, hello, how are you doing? Hi, Andy, I'm good, thank you. Hope you're well. Yes, all good here, all good here. Now, as we are coming into spring, Claire, we're gonna be talking all about something very seasonal. We're gonna be talking about planting and growing, aren't we? We're gonna be talking about planting and growing vegetables, but also different sorts of plants as well. And we're really sort of thinking about, particularly people who are...
02:00
maybe people who class themselves as non-gardeners or non-growers, you know, if you're a teacher or a practitioner and you don't normally, you don't normally do any gardening at home or you don't normally grow any vegetables and you wouldn't know where to start with your children, this episode is absolutely for you. We're gonna be talking about the practicalities of it, what sorts of things you need, what sorts of resources, materials you'll need, and also how to go about it so that you can get started and you'll be, yeah.
02:29
You'll be thriving in no time. All right, so let's get started then, Claire. Let's get started with an important question, and that is why is gardening and growing with young children important? Why would we do it? Let's make the case for it. Come on, Claire. Why would we go about doing it? Yeah, I'm really fortunate actually, because I've had lots of experiences through my childhood of planting and growing, because both my parents and my grandparents, you know, had...
02:56
an allotment in their garden or use containers and planting. So I come from a family that really valued planting their own vegetables. So I can really see all of those rich opportunities and possibilities for supporting children's learning. That not only includes all those really important skills that the children will be learning in terms of physical skills, but also knowledge and understanding about nature and the world around them.
03:22
but it's also going to have a great impact on their wellbeing. So when we think about children being outside, and I still often stop and reflect upon lockdown, when do you remember we had that one hour of exercise and how much we just craved that one hour of exercise, and that was really good for our own mental health and wellbeing. So having that opportunity for children to regularly go outside and be at one with nature and really help that process of
03:51
know, planting and growing so they can really support their understanding of nature really, really is important, you know, for that whole rounded picture of children. And there's a lot to it, isn't there? Yeah, as you said, there's the well-being aspect. There's also opportunities for learning really right the way across all of the different areas of learning, aren't they? You know, it's not the most obvious link, but mathematics comes into it, doesn't it? You know, when we're counting out the seeds, perhaps, or where we're working out the
04:21
between where we need to plant our seeds and space things out, or when we're looking after plants and they're starting to grow, getting an idea of the size or the difference in terms of measuring each of the plants and so on. There's a lot to it. But also what strikes me as well is that it's a very sensory experience, planting and growing. It's a really rich sensory experience.
04:48
that for many children that will really draw them in. You know, it's calming, as you said before, but also sensory experiences for young children are really important. They'll often, I think, link to talk and conversation. You often get lots of talk happening when children are engaged in sensory experiences. And yeah, I think it's one of those rich, rewarding kinds of experiences. But...
05:17
particularly with something like growing vegetables, there's a sort of surprise element, isn't there? You know, you don't, even, I mean, it sounds daft, doesn't it? But you know, if you're growing potatoes in the top and you can see the plant thriving above the surface, you don't know how many potatoes you're going to get, do you? And even though you might do it year after year after year, there's still this fantastic surprise element that you tip the pot up.
05:45
and you get the potatoes out, that actually you have been successful, that they've grown and that they're there and you can count them up and so on. So yeah, it's a really rich experience and certainly something that I would recommend any early years teacher or practitioner really should engage in planting and growing with their children for so many different reasons. Okay, so let's move on to the second part then, and that is what to grow, okay.
06:15
Let's take this in two parts. Let's think about vegetables first of all. OK? So what vegetables? If you're starting out and you've never done this kind of thing before, what vegetables would we recommend? What do you think, Claire? I think, you know, starting off with things like potatoes, you know, you'll see them when you go to shops or perhaps you go, you know, you go to the garden centre. So you'll see packs of seed potatoes that then you can plant and that's…
06:42
quite a really easy option to get started with. But use the shops and the garden centers to sort of help you support when things should be planted because you know they're going to be selling them at the correct seasonal planting time. And you might think about planting things from seed. So it might be things like carrot seeds, for example, or perhaps planting some herbs. So it's about just keeping things really, really simple, first of all, but definitely potatoes is one. And
07:11
I grow them as an adult myself and they're really, really easy. We'll talk about some of the equipment and things like that that you might need later on. But yeah, I definitely say around, you know, sticking with some of those simple things and vegetables like that will just give you a good start. I was going to say as well when you were talking about potatoes, yeah, I'm the same, I grow vegetables as well at home. And if you've never done it before, there's another bit to it that I think people ought to know.
07:40
there is always a bit of a debate, I think, around gardeners who grow vegetables, and that is whether you chit the potatoes or not. Yes. Chitting is, and so you'll know this, but chitting is basically having your seed potatoes in a, I think I'm right in saying it's out of direct sunlight and generally in a cold, a kind of cooler area of the house. I think this is right.
08:08
and you basically put them in a, like in an egg box, kind of on a window sill or something like that. And you watch for the seed potato starting to grow. And that gives, it's supposed to give you a bit of a head start, is that right? That's my understanding. And yes, we actually have an egg box at the moment with a few potatoes in. There you go. So there you are. So yeah, if you're, and so if you're doing this with a class of children, again, that's worth doing.
08:38
because as I mentioned earlier, much of the activity in terms of the growing of the potatoes, of course, often, yeah, well, it does, it happens below ground. So, so doing something as a starting point where you see, you see the seed potato starting to grow before you plant it actually, you know, can give you a good starting point in terms of conversations about what's going to happen below the ground out of sight. OK.
09:04
I'd add as well, I think I agree with you, I think potato is brilliant for growing. Herbs as well, definitely good for growing. Particularly actually around things, growing herbs brilliant around things like mud kitchen play. You know, if you could have, if you have a raised bed or simple planter or something like that near to where you've got mud kitchen play, that works really well, particularly in spring and summer for
09:33
Children adding, cutting or plucking leaves from herbs and then adding them into mixtures and potions. Again, you get a kind of a different sensory experience there that I think is really rich for young children. Again, quite language rich. You get lots of recipe talk and all kinds of things like that. In terms of herbs, great for that kind of thing. You do need resilient herbs. So you...
10:00
probably something like mint. Mint spreads like anything. It's almost impossible to stop it growing. That works really well, but do contain it. Like you say, Claire, yeah, do contain it. Don't just plant it in an open section of your outdoor space because before you know it, it will be absolutely everywhere. Do contain it, but it's great for that sort of potion making play. The other vegetable that I would recommend,
10:28
would be carrots, I think. I would go for carrots. And my recommendation would be to plant different varieties of carrot because you can get sort of all the, you call them things like rainbow carrots. Yes, so many different colors now, isn't there? And my recommendation would be to plant them not straight into the ground, but to plant them in a container. Because
10:57
pretty much every time I've tried to plant carrots directly into the ground, I've ended up with carrot fly issues. They lay their eggs on the carrots and then they sort of worm their way into it and ruin the crop. So if you're planting carrots, put them into a container, put them into whatever sort of pot you might have and just sow them in that and they'll grow really well. Yeah, that's great learning.
11:25
Yes, definitely. So I've got potatoes, herbs and carrots, anything else to add to that? I just think, thinking about which, you know, vegetables you might be growing and considering if it's, if it is going to be seeds, starting off a seed or if it is, for example, you know, with bulbs, because, you know, then you've got those different opportunities for learning. For example, like you said, if you're going to plant them directly into the ground.
11:54
Or if it might be that you're going to have small seed trays where the children can start to see that they're shooting and then when they're shooting and they're stronger to then be able to plant them into the ground. I think it's just considering that and also considering which plants, like when they're going to be growing. So when is going to be the time that they're going to be harvest? Is that a time that the children, you know, are going to still be in school?
12:19
Or are there plants that are going to be longer, slower growing plants that they might not then have the opportunity to harvest or see? So I think it's just bearing in mind that the time you plant, because that will help you choose which vegetables you're going to use. And also I think which vegetables the children are likely to want to have then either as a snack or kind of as part of a recipe or whatever it might be. I think I would add to it, I think I'd add peas into there because peas are quite easy to grow.
12:49
They're quite good fun in that you can kind of, you get the seeds are basically dried peas. And so you have a pack of dried peas and then you can grow them. The children can do this. You just, you basically, on a really simple level, you're basically pressing the seed into the ground, only sort of a few centimeters below the ground. And then needing something for the peas to grow up, the pea plants to grow up.
13:18
And so often people, or gardeners will use something like a wig-wam of sticks, or they will push what they call pea sticks into the ground in a row perhaps. But having something that the plant will grow up, because pea plants are really interesting in that they will, they're a climber. And so they kind of, they have these little shoots that come off that grab hold of the sticks that you put out there for the plant to grow up.
13:48
Really interesting. Okay. Yeah, if you put a container by the fence then. Yes, I've contained the next two parts. Yeah, you could put it by, if you've got a container near one of your wire fences, for example, just something that provides a bit of support. Yes, definitely. Definitely. So we've got peas, we've got carrots, we've got potatoes as a good starting point. We've got herbs as well. Salad leaves, I think works really well in a pot or in a container.
14:14
that you can cut and it will keep growing, which is quite an interesting one again for snack times. And then sunflowers is a traditional one, isn't it? Sunflowers are again, something to grow. Great, of course, kind of again, that sort of awe and wonder of how tall the sunflower has got. It's almost as tall as the school building or it's huge, this huge structure to children that they're just amazed by.
14:44
So yeah, those would be our top tips, definitely. Right. Yeah, sunflowers is the plants that just keep giving, don't they? So when you think about, it's not only growing the sunflowers, but then you're harvesting all of the seeds that then the children can start to use in other areas of learning, making bird feeders, for example, with the seeds, or then using the seeds then to replant and grow new plants. So you can see it's almost like a...
15:12
looking at the plants that just keep giving. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Okay, so we've got what we're gonna grow. We've had an idea of what we're growing. Let's move on then to the other practical things. And that is, I suppose, two parts to this. And that is where, where are you gonna grow them? And in what? Okay, so where would you grow your vegetables and where would you grow your plants?
15:41
Do you want to kick us off with this? No, I think it's not worrying if you do not have a large garden area, you know, with, you know, expansive parts to plant in, because actually planting can happen anywhere. So in some of the settings I've been in or worked in previously, you know, we had a lot of tarmac, so we had to be really resourceful in terms of using different containers and having that as, you know, those containers in a planting area, for example. So.
16:10
I think it's not worrying about the amount of space. You can still do planting in very small spaces. And you're just thinking about where, so where those plants are going to get maximum light, where it's an accessible area, a safe area for the children to use. And then just looking at the resources you have available. So that might be an old tray, for example, or it might be some buckets. At home, I grow potatoes in some old buckets, and it's the best potatoes I've ever grown.
16:38
find that works better than any vegetable bed. So yeah, I think it's just being, you being, you know, creative in the containers. It hasn't got to be a large space. Yes. Yeah. Do you know what made me think actually, is you was just saying sort of buckets for growing things in. If schools have powder paint delivered, I'm assuming they still have it delivered in the same way, but certainly in my experience, they were delivered in great big white tubs, great big white buckets.
17:07
And I used to use these in our outdoor area for the children to carry water in. They're pretty sturdy bucket, but actually, you could just as well use them for growing potatoes in. They'd be perfect for that because they're really, really deep. So you would only need to rinse them out, give them a good clean. You'd need to put some holes in the bottom. If you've got a tub or a bucket or something like that,
17:35
that you're wanting to then grow things in, you will need to put holes in the bottom for drainage. Don't just get a bucket and fill it with compost because it will all sink in full with water as soon as it rains. Okay, so drainage is important. But beyond that, keep it simple. You know, you don't need to be spending an awful lot of money on containers. You don't need to be spending a lot of money on sorts of things for growing your vegetables or plants in.
18:03
In fact, I think there's quite a charm to having a mixture of different containers and a different kind of real sort of complete set of non matching. materials. I think there's something to be said for that really. So yeah, so even sort of, if you're a child minder, or if you are, if you work within a really small setting, you know, you can you can do lots with even things like a window box. You know, having growing on a window box.
18:32
growing in containers on a windowsill, or as I say, within reclaimed materials, trucks and buckets and so on. The important thing here is that it doesn't have to be directly into soil, as in on the ground. If you've got tarmac, as Claire said, that's absolutely fine. Just get creative with the pots and the containers. Okay, all right, so let's move on to what...
19:01
equipment you will need? What equipment then Claire, what we're thinking? Yeah again I think it's just keeping everything really simple, you know you can really get children involved in planting and really you know inspire them with planting with very little resources so we've said about you know containers and things like that that don't you know don't need to cost a lot and really that's the same for the equipment. You know it is just some basic equipment such as you know some spades perhaps, rakes, forks,
19:29
possibly some trails, just a few basic resources there. But I would go for some really sturdy resources with a good size handle for the children to use and resources that are not going to flex and bend in the soil or the mud. Yes, yeah. I think quite often typically we end up or could end up, I think, giving children the sorts of spades that you might usually use in wet sand or dry sand.
19:59
that doesn't tend to work. In my experience, that doesn't work. If you give children a plastic spade from trying to dig in soil, it will just break or the child will get frustrated by it. So you do need for this, you definitely need real things, I think, don't you? So you do need real trowels or you do need real forks or those sorts of things because it is physically challenging to do it and you need to give the children the right materials to do it with.
20:27
But show them how to use the resources safely. You know, what you do when you're digging with a trowel or with a fork or with a spade or whatever else, you know, what we've got to be careful of that's around us so that we're not sort of knocking the soil into somebody else or anything like that. You know, it's all a skill that needs to be taught, isn't it? So yeah, spades, rakes, forks, trowels.
20:53
All of those sorts of things would give you a starting point, I think, in terms of working with your children. It occurred to me also that you might have gardening is one of those things that particular people are really passionate about. And I think it would make sense to really perhaps to get to know your parents or even sort of your children's grandparents. There may well be.
21:21
somebody who's a really passionate gardener who'd be quite happy to come in and get started with you and kind of support you on it. It's certainly something to think about. That's right, isn't it? Is that your experience, Claire? Yeah, it is and it's still my experience now actually. So as a teacher and a leader, I used to, you know, utilize the plants that...
21:44
and seeds that my parents had grown. So my dad used to often give me, you know, some of the vegetables he had started off a seed that I could then take in for the children. And actually, even now, I still do that. So my partners, grandparents, they often give me all of the seeds that they've started off. So I get the easy part of the seedling and planting that. But they've done all the important heavy work first. No, that's good. That is good. Yeah, it's sort of,
22:13
getting support or getting help, wherever you can find it in terms of growing and gardening, really. Okay, right, so the process then, we're good to go. We've got our pots, we've got our containers, we've got our pots on the windowsill or whatever we've got. We've got our forks and our spades. We are absolutely good to go. So let's start the process. What's the process like?
22:38
What do we need to do first? Yeah, I think, you know, it's important you establish, you know, where you're going to plant things. So if you are starting off with seeds in a seed tray, so, you know, you're having those conversations with the children and you're exploring where, though, you know, is it going to be a window sill, for example, where there's plenty of light? But you're also having that as part of that daily process with the children around how we're going to care for the seeds or the plants. So.
23:04
who is going to take responsibility for watering them, how often we're going to water. You can see how all that rich language and conversation can come out through that daily routine of caring for the plants. And then it's thinking, okay, so if I am starting off with a seed and I'm waiting for the seedling, when is the right time then to plant that outside? And again, thinking about how that routine of watering the plant and caring for the plant takes place.
23:30
And then we're looking at those observational skills. So, you know, the children being aware and, you know, taking those opportunities to see when the plant is growing, you know, particularly if we're thinking about potatoes, you know, seeing that the shoots are starting to grow first of all, and you're looking for the leaves to appear. So, you know, some real great understanding about how plants are developing and great observational skills can be developed there.
23:55
And then obviously that's leading on to looking at when the right time perhaps with the vegetables is to harvest them. How do we harvest them? You know, and how do we really involve the children? Because they will really be fascinated to, you know, pull up and see that they have got a carrot or like you said before with the potatoes. We're always astonished, aren't we? And almost that, yes, we've done it when potatoes suddenly appear. Definitely. Definitely. Yeah. So there's a process involved, isn't it? And that will vary, won't it, from...
24:25
plant to plant or from vegetable to vegetable. So the potatoes, as I say, we might do that chitting kind of thing and having them on a windowsill and see it grow and see it start to grow and then plant it out. And of course, following the instructions, which means kind of thinking about the distance between plants and how far does it need to be. So you might need a ruler or you might need a tape measure so that you can measure out.
24:54
rows or you might measure out spaces between where you're going to grow. You also need, of course, to think about depth. So we're thinking about how deep down does a potato need to be planted? And so thinking about, do you have something that you can press into the ground? I would call it a dipper. I don't know whether that's an official term, but a dipper would be like a kind of a …
25:18
a trowel handle or something like that that you press into the ground to make a hole and then you drop your potato seed into it. Something so that you know that you're going to get the right depth there. Yeah, I saw an image on the internet the other day actually where the children were using a muffin tin and they were pressing that onto the soil so then it created the right depth for seeds to be put into but it also created those equal spaces and then children were comparing that to things like a five's frame so really interesting how you can connect.
25:47
all those areas of learning. That's a clever one, yeah, never thought of that. Yeah, now it's a good one. That's a very good one. So you're preparing the ground, so you'll need compost. You will need the soil ideally to be kind of such a forked over or sort of fairly loose soil which would be ideal for the vegetables or the plants to grow. So some compost and soil that has really been kind of forked over and kind of loosened. That would be the ideal.
26:16
Then, of course, you'll need to follow the instructions in terms of planting, in terms of measuring, and depth, and rows, and so on. But don't get too hung up on it. If you're new to planting and growing, don't get too hung up about it. Because I think you'd be surprised that actually, even if you don't get it quite right, you can still be pretty successful, really. Even if the soil isn't perfect, just have a go, see how you get on.
26:41
You know, you'd be surprised that actually, even in the strangest conditions, like growing potatoes in an old stone tray, you know, with some soil in it, you'd be surprised how successful you can actually be with it really. So yeah, just have a go really and see how you get on. I think would be my advice. I think the most successful plants for me were when children just took control of them and they did plant them in various different places.
27:09
you know, months later, suddenly, you know, a plant emerges or some beans emerge that you didn't even know the children are planted there and they were the most successful crop. Yes, yeah, yeah, definitely. And actually, that's the other thing that's quite interesting beans, I never thought of that beans and kind of linking that into sort of Jack and the Beanstalk stories is quite an
27:37
and then sort of talking about them as magic beans, because you know, beans, they're beautifully colored, aren't they? The seeds of beans are beautifully colored, you know, when you're planting them. So yeah, that's it. Yeah, they always have that magical element to them. Yeah, definitely. Okay, so we've got our, we know what we're doing in terms of containers. We've got our equipment, forks, spades, et cetera. We know what we're growing. We've got our...
28:07
what are seeds in the ground, and we're then looking after them, we're watering them, we're monitoring how things are doing, we're noticing similarities and differences and change over time and all of that kind of thing. Let's get on to something you mentioned briefly earlier on, and that is harvesting and eating. Harvesting and eating, OK, so we've put all the groundwork in, we've done all the hard work, the plants are growing, the peas are in the pods.
28:34
The potatoes are growing nicely. Those are good questions. How do we know when things are ready? Yeah, I think it's looking out for, you know, if you are getting seeds and, or, you know, buying the bulbs, for example, in a packet, they will often give you some indicators or instructions for when they're ready.
28:57
I used to have children that whenever we were growing things like carrots, used to like to scrape a little bit of the soil away and just check if they were growing. But you know, you're looking for all those early signs, you know, particularly root vegetables that things are growing on top and that they're looking really, really healthy. So like with potatoes, for example, you're looking for the plants to, you know, be really fully established and it would start to flower.
29:22
And then actually I got this tip from my partner's grandparents who said actually then looking for when the potato plant starts to almost shrivel a little bit and die back, then you know the potatoes are ready. And I must admit I followed that advice ever since and it's proven a useful tip. So I think it's having all of those conversations with the children, aren't they, and looking all out for those characteristics that are showing that the plant is ready.
29:49
And when we talk about that harvesting and then eating, I think that's, for me, that's really rewarding. And you could see that, you know, that delight on the children's faces when they, you know, pull up those vegetables or pick, for instance, lettuce leaves, and they try them for that very first time. And yeah, that delight on their face. Yes. Yeah, absolutely. It is the reward, isn't it, for all of your hard work. And so, yes, you might want to think about, you know, kind of...
30:14
preparing in advance what you're going to do when you get to harvest whatever it is that you're harvesting. So it might be, for example, if you are growing peas in pods, that you pick the pods, and then at snack time, you basically give the children a pod of peas, and that they're opening the pod of peas, and they're eating the peas from inside. There's something, again, really magical about that, as kind of finding what's inside, of popping those pea pods open and finding what's inside.
30:42
But you also might want to think about what recipes that you could use to cook with, what it is that you've grown. So that again is quite an interesting one to do. What sorts of things might you cook? Or even, I don't know, I know one of the things that I've done in the past when I've been working with groups of children is we've asked the kitchen staff, if we've harvested the potatoes that they've cooked the potatoes for us.
31:10
And then with the school dinner that day, the children have had their own potatoes, which again is just so simple, isn't it? But actually, again, really rewarding. What about harvesting other things? We talked about sunflowers, didn't we, earlier on? If we're harvesting sunflowers, that's probably something that's a bit later, isn't it? That's usually into the kind of the autumn term, when we get to the point where the sunflowers
31:39
have really flowered fully. They do that kind of over the summer and then into the autumn term. So if we're harvesting sunflower heads, that's an interesting thing to do. What would we do with that, do you think? Yeah, I think again, it's connecting that to how it can be used in nature again. So when we think about in nature, a lot of the seeds in those sunflower heads, you know, will be used to feed, you know, animals and birds. So yes, let's utilise that and, you know, think about.
32:07
when we're harvesting them in the autumn, how we then use those into the winter where there's less food available for the birds. So a great opportunity to help children understand that there's less food available for birds and animals. So it might be creating things like bird feeders available, getting really messy with the lard and the seeds and mixing them together. Again, a great sensory and messy play experience for the children.
32:33
then they love watching the birds then coming and, you know, pecking away at the seeds. So again, another chance to really develop all of that skills and knowledge with the children. Yeah, and also, I think, great for, you know, when you think about sunflower head, that's dried, you know, it's, it's such a rich thing to observe and to look closely at, you know, the number of seeds there and the, the formation of those seeds on the sunflower head.
33:02
really interesting patterns emerge, don't they? And, and then sort of getting in from that into, from looking closely into then sort of observational drawing, that that's something you might quite interesting, you know, it would be a really interesting thing to look closely at and to draw. It struck me as well that if we're talking about the planting and growing spanning across...
33:28
across year groups that you know, you perhaps plant your sunflowers in the, when your children are staying in reception, and that they you know that they'll be harvesting it in year one. And so there's something quite nice about spanning two year groups like that. And so it's quite, it would be, it struck me it'd be quite a nice thing to do to work if you're in reception, to talk with your key stage one staff about what it is that they would like to harvest in the first term in the autumn term.
33:59
that actually would be really useful to them, that as part of harvesting, they can link it to whatever it is that they're wanting to teach. And so something, you know, if it was say observational drawing, then sunflowers would be perfect, or it could be something completely different. But what is it that would be quite a good thing to span across the ear groups in that way? I think it's quite an interesting conversation. Yeah, it creates that transition project for the children. But also when we talk about children revisiting skills and knowledge.
34:28
you know, that's really going to tap into that. So when children are in year one, they're going to revisit all of that knowledge and expertise that they've gained in reception and really help them to connect those ideas and, you know, gain further knowledge. So yeah, really important that we think about some of those projects that might span across a year group or continue into another year group. Yes, absolutely. So key messages, just have a go. You know, if you're new to it.
34:55
that really don't worry about it. Just get in there and have a go with your children. Yes, there'll be things you get wrong, but we all get things wrong. But have a go because it's a really rich experience. And in fact, you can learn from things that don't work. You know, if something just sort of grows a little bit and looks a bit weedy, then you know, you can kind of learn from, well, what's gone wrong there kind of thing. It doesn't really matter. Okay, so it doesn't have to be perfect.
35:21
have a good go at it, really enjoy it, and just be positive about it with your children because they'll be watching you and they'll be picking up from you actually, what's this gardening sort of thing all about, and they'll gain from you a positivity if you're positive about it, and they'll want to get involved themselves. And it certainly is as pleasant as they are, it's really rewarding when you come to harvest, and there's so many rich learning experiences too. Yeah, absolutely, yeah, just give it a go.
35:51
Yeah, give it a go. I think that's pretty much it. I feel like we've covered such a lot there in a fairly short period of time. So yeah, if you do get gardening and growing, and I hope you do, over this spring and summer period, then get in touch. It would be really good to hear from you. Get in touch with us. Send us your photographs. It would be good to see your harvest of potatoes or carrots or peas or, you know, who's got the tallest sunflower.
36:18
Get in touch, let us know how you get on and all the very best.
36:29
So there you go. Thank you very much to Claire for joining us for this week's episode of the podcast. And thank you also to you people for listening along as well. Hopefully that's got you really inspired to have a go at gardening and growing your own vegetables with your children. Yeah, just getting stuck in, I think, just having a good go and getting started, I think it's well, well worth doing. If you do, let us know how you get on. It would be really good to hear from you.
36:56
That's all for this week. See you next week everybody. Take care. Have a good week and see you next time
