Getting children outside and learning about their environment and how things grow is so important. Children need to learn about their world and how it works if we are going to get them interested in the environment and healthy living.
My son’s pre-school have just been on a school trip as a part of their ‘growing’ topic. During their trip, they had the opportunity to get digging and planting different types of vegetable and flowers as well as look at all the plants and foods that are growing already. They also had a chance to explore woodlands and find out all about animal habitats and looking after the environment. Aside from coming home absolutely exhausted, Benjamin had the most amazing day and has really become enthused with growing plants and learning about where food comes from.
Just in time for the summer, Get Out and Grow, is launching an incentive encouraging students to head outside and get planting, growing and learning about just where fruit and vegetables come from.
Why? Because according to a recent survey, 90% of children said that they would like a garden at school and at one primary school in Lincolnshire, a school garden made all the difference when it came to pupil’s behaviour.
The Benjamin Adlard Primary School, run by headmaster Sam Coy, was previously rated by Ofsted as one of Britain’s worst schools. Four years and one school garden later, and the Gainsborough school has won the national Pearson award for School of the Year: Making a Difference.
Headmaster Coy insists: “The children absolutely love den-building, just generally getting dirty and nature hunts. One child recently told me that he loves going to the forest school on a Tuesday afternoon so much as it helps him to behave all week as he never wants to not be able to go.”
Giveaway Time
Starting in June and running throughout the month, Get Out and Grow will award school gardening starter kits to 20 primary schools or nurseries in the UK. The kits will include:
And the good news is, anyone can enter! Nominating your local primary school or nursery is easy. Just fill in the widget below and enter the details of your chosen school to be in with the chance to win.
Sponsored by British skincare brand, Sudocrem, the Get Out and Grow project was created following research that suggested gardening is being forgotten and that many children lack basic knowledge about the natural world and where their food comes from.
Despite the fact that 87% of British households have a garden, over half of British children between 4 and 8 are unable to name 5 vegetables or fruits grown in them and 95% were unable to name 3 herbs. Many of those couldn’t identify gardening tools, with only 8% able to identify a trowel, 80% never having seen a rake before and, worrying, 79% believing worms are bad for plants.
73% of those asked said they had never grown a sunflower, while only 8% had ever picked an apple, which perhaps explains why they’re unable to name even one. Less than 10% had dug up a vegetable and only 6% had ever eaten a fresh pea from the pod. Based on this evidence, it is perhaps unsurprising that only 20% have ever eaten a vegetable they’ve grown themselves.
Editor’s Notes
Research was conducted amongst 300 children, nationwide, aged between 4 and 8 years old – contacted via an online panel and accessed via their parent/guardian. Fieldwork was carried out between the 28th February and 2nd March 2019.
Visit www.sudocrem.co.uk for more information
Rafflecopter Terms and Conditions
The giveaway is for 1 x gardening kit for your local primary school or nursery . The giveaway closes at 12.00am (GMT) on 30.06.19 and is open to UK entrants over the age of 18 years.
The winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter and contacted within three days of the giveaway closing. The winner has 28 days to claim their prize and provide their contact details. The prize will be sent to the winner directly from Sudocrem . The prize is non-transferable. There is no cash alternative. The giveaway is run by What Mummy Thinks in conjunction with Sudocrem.
i would choose my son’s primary school as the reception area has an outdoor area which would def benefit from having a little garden of their own
our local primary school
dallam school because its our local school my daughter goes to xx
My son’s school Bromet, They have a gardening lesson where they help outside and plant things so these would be very useful for the school
Stourport primary school where i work as dinner lady
Redhill primary school because it’s my kids school and they have been amazing We just received letter home stating they are starting a project of a community garden on the school grounds.
This would be a great help for the kids to help get involved and just show little appreciation for helping my kids thrive so much
My son & daughter’s primary school. They have an allotment so this would be very useful.
My two sets of twinnies village primary school would love these.
I nominate Meadowbrook Primary School. We’ve just set up an eco-committee and as part of this, hope to make planting and growing a focus where children will grow their own vegetables.
My daughter school, Manor School, they are revamping their playground and would welcome mre gardening kit.
Beanfield Primary School in Corby – in a large town there is not a lot of green space but the school have started a Forest school gardening club and could really use some help to get going! 🌳🌷
My little brothers school as it will be perfect for them to make a start on a community garden
I would like to nominate my sisters school where she teaches which is Park School in Blackpool
I would love this for my son’s school Grosvenor Park Primary School
I would nominate at Joseph’s school in Christchurch Dorset as it’s my daughters school
I would nominate St Matthews Bloxam C of E in Rugby. They have a class which all the years do called Forest School where they learn all about the outdoors, so these would be so appreciated.
Holy cross Catholic academy, whitwick
My children’s school and they have a little garden in the playground
I nominate St Matthews Primary School, Prudhoe, Northumberland who are developing a community garden
Loveclough, near Rawtenstall
My local primary school Swiss Valley, Llanelli, as both my nieces attend.
Bleak hill primary, they’d love to win to make our school garden better