At Play to Learn we acknowledge the importance of cherishing and nurturing the growth of ourselves, as kaakano.
To extend our learning around te kaakano, growth and nourishment we enjoyed gifting new strawberry and beetroot plants to our kaitiaki Papatuuaanuku to protect, nurture and grow. Ngaa tamariki have enjoyed with the help of kaiako to make a new garden bed which will become our new strawberry patch. Ngaa tamariki carefully poured new soil into the garden bed and ensured all the elements were perfect to harvest the strawberries in. Ngaa tamariki supported each other to carefully and respectfully dig holes for the strawberry plants to be embedded in for a lifelong journey of nurturing, nourishment and growth from Papatuuaanuku, raa and ua. Ngaa tamariki also enjoyed planting some additional beetroot into our other planter box next to our celery. When it is time to harvest our kai we will nourish our bodies through creating a nourishing kai together. Ka pai to mahi tamariki ma!Recently, we went to MITRE 10 to buy vegetable seedlings. Our tamariki were so happy and were so excited to pick the vegetables they wanted to plant in our garden. When we went back to the centre, they went straight to the garden and excitedly planted the vegetables. They just love digging the dirt……it’s like digging a buried treasure.
Growing vegetables with your children is likely to encourage them to eat more vegetables too – especially for the picky eaters! Let them choose the vegetable seeds, plant and tend them together, and finally harvest the fresh vegetables.
For the meantime, we will be watching the plants grow from tiny seedlings into grown, mature plants, will tend them and will keep an eye on their progress, will protect them from invaders (in the form of slugs and bugs!). This will really be a great adventure for our tamariki.
