A great recipe for the kids using produce from their garden.
Last week I had my students fill out a feedback form that asked them about their favourite activities they have done this term. Not surprisingly cooking rated very highly so as a way to celebrate the end of term I decided to undertake another cooking day with them all. We still have a large amount of silverbeet growing in the garden and the rosemary bush has taken on a life of its own so I thought we would utilise these great ingredients whilst we waited for our newer vegie plants to grow. Continue reading →
Blueberry muffins that kids can help make
If you are a follower of this blog you will know that our family is quite fond of blueberries. On the weekend Little Miss B and I baked a lovely batch of blueberry muffins with the fruit we recently picked and froze. I came across this recipe a couple of years ago through a friend. It is so simple to make and produces such wonderful muffins I thought I would share it with you. It is also easy to substitute the blueberries for other types of fruit too e.g. bananas, dates, apples and pears – so why not give it a go with the kids today! Continue reading →
Autumn is here
The days are getting shorter, the mornings are getting cooler and the leaves are starting to yellow which means that autumn has begun. Now is the time to start thinking about what you would like to plant with the kids over the autumn months. Continue reading →
Silverbeet is a good alternative to spinach for spanakopita
I recently asked the students that I work with what they would like to achieve in their kitchen garden program this year. Many of them were very eager to learn how to cook and some asked specifically to learn how to cook spanakopita. As the school garden already had a large plot of silverbeet I thought we’d try our hand at making this traditional greek recipe with what we had on hand rather than using spinach. We also used leeks that we had growing as opposed to onions. Continue reading →
At the time of year many gardeners have an abundance of zucchinis and start to wonder what on earth they can do with them all. I asked my fantastic followers on Facebook for their ideas and these are what they came up with: Continue reading →
Dragonflies are fascinating for children and adults alikeI am fascinated by dragonflies. As a child I spent many days at my grandparents’ house with my cousin and sister watching these creatures with wonder as they flitted around the sky. These days Little Miss B loves watching them with me and has the same look of wonder when one hovers nearby. We have had many dragonflies visit our backyard recently so I thought I would share some facts with you: Continue reading →
Now is a great time to make lemonadeWith all this hot weather we are having at the moment, it can be difficult to think of gardening activities to do with the kids that aren’t going to leave them (and you) all hot and bothered. There is one activity you can do though that is not only fun but will help keep everyone cool at the same time – make lemonade! Here is a yummy recipe for old-fashioned lemonade: Continue reading →
Smelling flowers in the garden
Little Miss B has recently become fascinated with the flowers that are growing in our garden. Two of her favourites are marigolds and fuchsias. She enjoys looking at their bright colours, touching their petals and of course picking them! She is certainly not the only child who loves to do this. Flowers are very appealing to children and there are endless varieties that are great to include in the garden for the kids.
Some popular flowers that appeal to children include: Continue reading →
Stimulating the sense of touch
Gardening is beneficial for people of all ages and children are no exception. Kids have a natural curiosity about nature and spending time out in the garden is full of endless opportunities. We learn through our senses and gardening stimulates all five. It is therefore a fantastic way to develop children’s understanding of the world around them:
