There is nothing in the Athenree Montessori garden that has been planted by an adults hands.

Sustainability is such a huge part of our curriculum and this simply has has to include real hands on, authentic, natural learning. One of the many wonderful ways that we achieve this amazing learning is through gardening. The children prepared the soil when the garden beds were first introduced, raking and digging and looking for worms. They have grown the majority of the vegetables from seeds and have been a huge part their care. Great care is taken as the children weed around the plants, being extra careful not to pluck little vegetable sprout-lings.

The learning that is happening through this process is immense, precious and so beautifully authentic. Gardening helps develop hand-eye coordination and builds physical strength. It is physical and requires the body to work hard digging, carrying, watering etc. As children garden, they develop important motor skills that will help them improve their academic skills such as writing. Being out in the garden offers opportunities to learn about different shapes and colours, and different animals and insects they might come across. The current favourite with the children is definitely bees. Guided by the children’s interest, we have been learning all about the queen bees, worker bees, and their important roll in our environment.

Growing vegetables from the seed has required consistent attention and care. The children have learnt that if the plants aren’t regularly watered and taken care of, they won’t flourish. This has been a wonderful, natural, great way to teach responsibility, but, it is no overnight process. The children have had to be patient while waiting for their flowers and vegetables to grow. They have had to be patient with the process and keep looking after their seedlings even when there were no instant results. The first sprout was met with great excitement, enthusiasm and pride.

Such great learning and such wonderful mahi!