You will need: • Soil, seeds, water, sunshine • Information on growing things

You can:

• Plant straight into soil or a container of potting mix

• You can grow mustard seeds on cotton wall

• Put a carrot top in a jar lid of water and watch it grow

• Put a kumara in a jar of water with the bottom half submerged in water and see what happens

• Grow watercress on cotton wool inside egg shells

• You can grow sunflower seeds in egg cartons and then plant the whole carton in the soil when the seedlings form

Try growing:

• Radishes as they grow really quickly

• Lettuces and rocket

• Statice, marigolds, straw flowers, pansies

You can also:

• Use your vegetables in cooking

• Give some flowers to someone you love

• Make a collage with some leaves and flowers from your garden

• Make a play dough garden (poke flower stems into a play dough base)

Did you know:

Some plants like each other and some don’t. For example, marigolds planted with your vegetables will help to keep insects away. Basil planted with tomatoes will help to get rid of whitefly. You can find out more about companion planting from:

http://www.kings.co.nz/growing-guides/planting/companion-planting-chart

What your child is learning:

Gardening is way for children to learn new skills while having fun. Children can learn about science, nature and the environment from growing their own food and flowers.

Gardening is educational and develops new skills including:

• Responsibility – from caring for and tending plants

• Understanding – as they learn about cause and effect (for example, plants die without water, weeds compete with plants etc)

• Self confidence – from achieving goals and enjoying the food they have grown

• Love of nature – a chance to learn about the outdoor environment in a safe and pleasant place

• Reasoning and discovery – as they learn about science, botany, nutrition and simple construction

• Physical activity – that is fun and productive

• Cooperation – including shared play activity and teamwork

• Creativity – finding new and exciting ways to grow food

• Nutrition – learning about sources of fresh food