Get Out and Grow Giveaway

In a recent survey 90% of children said they would love the opportunity to have a garden at school. 

Through extensive research it have been proved  that planning and planting a garden gives children a sense of responsibility. It also has fantastic social and emotional benefits too as being outdoors in general improves mood and brings about a sense of calm. It brings about lots of wonderful learning experiences and decreases anxiety.  

We are living in an electronic age. More and more children are no longer getting the time outdoors that their mind and bodies need. I was really saddened when I heard the findings that - 75% of children spend less time outside than a prison inmate per day.

A garden fosters mindfulness. Coming together to plan the space is excellent for teamwork and communication. No pressure. Just fresh air and working together to achieve something lovely that can be enjoyed by the school community. 

Children learning hands on about the importance of using a compost bin, collecting rain water and ensuring there are plants that can help insects such as bees helps give them a deeper understanding about the planet they live on. 

Exploring the soil with their fingers, enjoying the scents of flowers and herbs, appreciating the contrasting colours - all marvellous for the senses.

I have always been incredibly passionate about gardening with children. I enjoyed growing all sorts in the classroom with the children - sunflowers, tomato plants, pumpkin plants, annuals for colour in the playground. They would venture out to water them with pride each day and were lost for words when they discovered buds, fruits and vegetables! They were so proud!

I always encourage and welcome a hands on approach in my own garden at home too with my children. They love helping me and giving their opinions.

When I was approached by Get Out and Grow - I was over the moon. They are launching an incentive encouraging students to head outside and get planting, growing and learning about just where fruit and vegetables come from.

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.”

Beginning in June and running throughout the month, Get Out and Grow will award school gardening starter kits to 20 schools nationwide. The kits will include children’s wheelbarrows, gardening gloves, mini-trowels, seeds and lessons on how to make the most of a school garden. And the good news is, anyone can enter! 

Nominating your local school is easy. Head on over to our Facebook Page and pop your nomination in the comments on this post ------> Get Out and Grow Facebook Giveaway. 

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.

Interestingly over half of British children between the ages of 4 and 8 are unable to name 5 vegetables or fruits grown in their own gardens and 95% were unable to name 3 herbs. This is despite the fact that 87% of British households have a garden!

Many of  these children also couldn't identify gardening tools, with only 8% able to identify a trowel and 80% never having seen a rake before. Worryingly 79% of children believed worms were bad for plants. 73% of those asked said they had never grown a sunflower, while only 8% had ever picked an apple. 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.

This research was conducted by talking with 300 children, nationwide - between the ages of 4 and 8 years old. This was carried out between the 28th February and 2nd March 2019. Visit here for more information.

So what are you waiting for? 

Get nominating a school of your choice to win a fabulous gardening kit. Lets get more children outside doing something they would really love and enjoy. 

** We are working with Get Out and Grow on raising the importance of getting more children outside to enjoy gardening. This is a sponsored post.

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