Johnson House
Preschool
Story by Educator Sanju
During our excursions around the grounds of The Infants’ Home, the children in Johnson House preschool have been talking about how the rain makes the plants look greener. To encourage our conversation on how rain helps the plants to grow, and why they look happier and greener when it’s raining, we discussed what plants need to grow.
Following on from our discussion, we decided to do some gardening and grow some plants. Sometimes growing things with children in the garden can be a little confusing for them, especially when they are not able to see exactly what is happening under the soil when they plant the seeds. So we decided to grow our seeds in clear recycled glass jars so that we can see how the seeds shoot and turn into plants. This hands-on learning experience will provide the children with the opportunity to see the seeds shooting, which they cannot see under the soil. Once the growth appears, we will transfer them into our vegetable garden.
Before planting the seeds, we read a book called ‘The Tiny Seed’, by Eric Carle, and watched a short video clip of seeds shooting. The children were very interested in the book and they shared all their knowledge about how the seeds cannot grow in the ocean or dessert. I explained that we are using paper towels to keep the seeds moist and clear jars to allow for sunlight, which is a must for the seeds to grow.
Let’s hope that the sun will shine this week and help our tiny seeds to grow!
Community Playgroups
Story by Playgroup Coordinator Rebecca
At playgroups we have been having a lot of fun. We have been making friends, playing with others and learning about our environment. We have been talking about how we look after the park and the places we live and play in. Doing this helps us to learn about how the people before us have looked after the land, and how we can continue to take care of it in the future. Playgroup also gives us an opportunity to make friends and to connect with each other in a fun and safe place.
We look forward to seeing you at our playgroups!
