The Environment &















































































































Kitchen Garden Program

Here, at Clovelly, we cherish having such beautiful, rich and inviting natural outdoor spaces for all the children to experience its’ pleasures and wonders. Throughout our curriculum and educational program, this  environment is very much our powerful 3rd teacher enabling the children to experience many learning opportunities that connect them to this place, “their” place and the crucial role they play in conserving and maintaining it all to appreciate and enjoy.

As the need for greater sustainability becomes more apparent globally, so does the importance of why we embed sustainable practices within our programs. Through hands-on experiences and relevant educator pedagogies, children can explore and learn about their local contexts and environmental issues. They can develop the creativity and critical thinking skills necessary to make informed decisions for change, improving the quality of their lives, and those of future generations.

Practicing sustainability empowers children to construct knowledge, explore values and develop an appreciation of the environment and its relationship to their worlds.

Our Kitchen Garden Program provides educational, stimulating, and fun experiences for all children to build and develop their relationship with the garden. They provide opportunities to grow and produce healthy food and connect the children with healthy food and lifestyles. Gardening helps with a wide range of topics that are a part of our everyday curriculum. The wider topics include seasons, weather, life cycles, animals and mini beasts. Children learn new skills, have fun, socialise and develop self-confidence by spending time in the garden tending plants and growing their own food.

We believe the link between nature, food and wellbeing is vital for all – where connections to nature and learning from nature fosters ecological identity, sense of place and resilience

Children learn from growing things

Gardening has benefits for people of all ages, but children in particular find it lots of fun and have plenty to gain from digging in the dirt. In addition to the positives of being outside in the fresh air and sunshine, gardening is highly educational and helps develop new skills such as:

• Responsibility– from caring for and tending to plants.
• Understanding– they learn about cause and effect (for example, plants die without water, weeds compete with plants).
• Self-confidence– from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown.
• Love of nature– a chance to learn about the outdoor environment in a safe and pleasant place.
• Reasoning and discovery– learning about the science of plants, animals, weather, the environment, nutrition and simple construction.
• Physical activity– doing something fun and productive, that works fine and gross motor skills.
• Cooperation– including shared play activity and teamwork.
• Creativity– finding new and exciting ways to grow food.
• Nutrition understanding– learning about where fresh food comes from.