Sweet Baby Peas… plant it, grow it, eat it!
The very best place for toddlers to learn is in the garden - it's a place for building strong bodies, engaging sensory experiences that feed the mind, it’s a place for learning language and to investigate the world around them in a super natural way. It’s a place where experiences ensure that little children get everything they need to develop their little brains – it’s the best place to learn by doing, it’s the best place for developing life-long skills!
“He does it with his hands, by experience, first in play and then through work - the hands (of the child) are the instrument of man’s intelligence” Dr. Maria Montessori.
It’s a sustainable place, a place to teach vital environmental messages in a sub-conscious way. The toddler does not have the language or cognitive development to understand abstract messages, but they learn from what they see! If we want a better world – it starts with the kids!
“If we want to change the world - put the toddler in the garden! From the moment they can walk - show it to them – name it for them, model skills to them and then give them the tools to plant it, grow it and eat it for themselves! Ruth Barker – The Little Kid Specialist.
Plant it!
It can be daunting for a parent! Very daunting indeed! A want of giving children the very best – alongside the challenges of income and time that sometimes impede! But the garden dare not be costly – and dare not take too much time!
Here’s the top tips:
. start with a small plot
. start with simple plants that are easy to grow – that have small growth times for the children to see changes and life-cycles quickly!
. seeds not seedling – show them lifecycles!
. allow toddlers to attend to jobs and water themselves (with supervision) as often as they like!
Here’s the top seven:
. silverbeet
. cucumber or zucchini
. snow pea
. carrot
. tomato
. sunflower
Planting one of each of the top seven is a great start (zone and 
weather permitting of course!). These give toddlers so many vital lessons in life, language and science! Such a rich vocabulary and experience from just seven plants! Think of the different elements each provides – the silverbeet is a leaf, the snow pea is a pod with seeds, the carrot grows under the ground, the tomato is a fruit and has seeds and the sunflower…. Is just beautiful. It’s the best first flower there is!
Grow it!
Here’s the top tips:
. children need to see the processes before the products – show them how to prepare the soil, plant the seed, water the seed, mulch the seedling, weed the garden and use compost!
. show them the processes one by one over time – little minds don’t’ need to be bombarded – nor do they have the attention span – children innately put the processes together themselves as they grow!
. be enthusiastic!
. name, name, name – everything!
. give toddlers their own tools – that fit into their hands – just for them!
. failure is a normal – it’s a part of the process – but more importantly – it’s a part of life – it teaches children to be resilient from the start!
. and please - never punish – it’s meant to be fun!
Eat it!
It’s the super fun bit! Show the toddler how to prepare their food! Let them be involved! There’s a myriad of things to do with just seven plants!
Here’s the top tips:
. collect from the plot – make it fun with a super-sized basket for one silverbeet leaf!
. make it an adventure – sing! “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, we’re going on a big adventure – let’s go let’s go let’s go… come and have some fun!”
. provide simple cooking lessons – teach little ones how to peel, chop, slice, grate
. cook real food and let the toddler do all that they can!
. the process is always more important than the product!
. be enthusiastic!
. name, name, name everything!
. give toddlers their own tools – that fit into their hands – just for them!
And then...
. chop the silverbeet
. grate the zucchini
. coil the cucumber
. shell the peas
. peel the carrots
. roast the tomatoes and peel off the skin
. dry the sunflowers and pick out the seeds
. make a fried rice
. make a frittata
. make some carrot, zucchini or cucumber sticks
. make tomato soup
… and don’t forget the sunflower seed bread!
All the children’s tools in this blog are available at http://www.littlekidsthings.com.au/ or http://www.montessorichild.com.au/
Ruth Barker, The Little Kids Specialist is an Author, Columnist, Presenter, Montessori Guide and Play Specialist for Toddlers and Pre-schoolers. You can find her here: http://www.toddlereducationservices.com.au/
.
.
.
.
.
