WIN A $500 VOUCHER!

We are giving away 2 X $500 vouchesr for educators to create great a spring garden classroom for their children.

Category 1 - Beginner

The beginner gardiners category is open to everyone - if you have never gardened before this category will recognise you for establishing yourself in your outdoor classroom

Category 2 - Advanced

This category will be hard fought for and is for all of you advanced gardiners and educators. You know who you are and we want to see you extend yourselves as you strive for this voucher.

The Prize

The prize is $500 for the winners of each category to spend in store at Dragonfly Toys, Ignite Minds or Organisational Learning Australia group of companies.

Start thinking about your very own garden patch and what you can do! If you have a wonderful garden patch already, that's ok! You'll be in the Advanced Category.

Success Criteria

You must plant at least 1 edible plant

You must develop a program around that plant that include:

Music
art/craft
Literacy & storytelling

You must provide regular weekly updates on your project via storypark that demonstrate:

Child involvement in decision making
Child participation in the development of the project
A range of opportunities - see point 2 above.

Below is an example idea for planting sunflower seeds.

Description of project

To plant sunflower seeds and explore a garden project with my children

Songs to help your garden grow

I will learn these songs and then teach the children - I will not use the videos to teach the children.

https://gospelchoruses.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/the-tree-song/

https://www.soulblossomliving.com/tall-tall-tree-favorite-waldorf-song/circle-time/songs/

Another version with children https://youtu.be/2vk4WszKP7I

This is a nice quick one as we watch our apples grow:

https://youtu.be/IkOvktdlJS8

Books and Stories to Enrich your imagination

"Early one spring morning, a little seed woke up after her long winter sleep. She yawned and stretched. With a loud CRACK her hard brown jacket fell away. 'Oh!' said the surprised seed. The earth above felt warm."

... this was just the beginning of big changes to come.

The colorful illustrations in this book are made by the author from dyed wool fibers, felted together to create a solid piece of "fabric." She employed a technique known as "dry," or "needle," felting, which requires a small hand tool called a felting needle with barbs along the shaft to catch the fibers as it pierces the surface of the wool and binds them together. Jan describes the experience as "painting with a needle."

(Ages 3-5).

Art/craft/baking activities to support appreciation of your garden

Pine cone bird feeders