A lot of educators do not know much about plants, but all it takes is a sense of wonder, curiosity and a few simple practical steps.
1. We can discuss plants we have in our centres and talk about plant species at mealtimes.
2. Use a compost bin and/or worms farms for children to observe the cycles of waste, soil and fertilisation. I bought a worm farm for my group during the first week of teaching.
3. Leave places outside for rewilding such as ‘letting’ an area grow without or with minimal management (by simply observing what happens to the land without human ‘care’ or ‘maintenance’).
4. Integrate inquiry-based projects and discussions with children about plants, soil, and weather.
5. Encourage children to track the growth of plants by measuring, taking photos and drawing pictures.6. Grow grass in large pots and use it as a prop for small figurines, of people, animals and loose parts.
7. Grow grass in garden beds or wooden boxes to use as seats.
8. Plant fast-growing crops such as grass heads, radish, lettuce and alfalfa. Plant herb, vegetable and sensory gardens. I found that rocket, oregano, rosemary, coriander are the best.
9. Explore and plant deciduous trees which lose their leaves in autumns such as elm, oak and fruiting trees and compare with evergreen trees such as gum, wattle and pine. Why do they lose/retain their leaves?
10. Make a collection of dry seeds from the fruit eaten in the education setting such as apples, oranges, watermelons.
Teaching with music, puppets and storytelling 