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Nurturing our sprouts to grow
In our nursery at Beststart Silverstream, we have been exploring how we take care of Papatuanuku – we've been planting together and nurturing our sprouts into growth. For the next step of our journey the tamariki made and mounted a pallet planter to the fence and churned the dirt with water. Using their tools and hands before transporting it to the planter, once each row was part filled, they helped repot the little sprouts and continue filling until each little sprout was standing tall.
This was a delightful way to explore and learn new science concepts through this interest. We have been looking at the plants we are growing, and we have been explaining how plants need water, soil and sun for them to grow.
Through caring for the gardens, the tamariki are not only learning about how things grow, but also how to take care of their environment. They are developing a sense of kaitiakitanga – guardianship for their environment. This allows them to take responsibility in other areas, including caring for the resources in the environment and taking responsibility for the gardens in their own homes.
We hope that experiences like this will continue to foster a love for the environment and a desire to protect it.