What is a potato? There is silence in response to Petra Wevers of Krachtig Buiten’s question in the new neighborhood school garden of De 4 Heemskinderen primary school in Etten-Leur. At the start of the Big Potato Lesson, she holds a seed potato up in the air. The pupils in Year 6 know what you can make from a potato: fries, mashed potatoes, hotchpotch!

Eagerly, they pick up a blue shovel and a potato and dig a hole in the brand-new community vegetable garden opposite their school. “The roots have to point upward,” the children call to one another before filling the holes again.

Ambassador

Over the past few weeks, Petra Wevers has distributed 50 kilos of seed potatoes among primary schools and out-of-school care centers in Brabant and Dordrecht, making her a true ambassador for School Garden Week and National Outdoor Learning Day.

In Etten-Leur, Outdoor Learning Day took on a very special form: the neighborhood school garden was officially opened and set up. All the pupils of De 4 Heemskinderen primary school had a task that day in arranging the former grass field opposite the school.

Land from housing corporation

“We wanted something other than grass on the small field next to our house,” says neighbor Diana Timmers. Housing corporation Alwel was receptive to the idea, and the school also wanted an ‘outdoor classroom’ as an extension of the schoolyard, which still needs to be made greener.

Principal Ester Donselaar: “We believe it is important for children to learn much more about nature by doing and experiencing things. That way, they also learn that vegetables do not grow in plastic bags.” A working group of four teachers has been given room to organize everything related to the neighborhood school garden. “We made that choice consciously as a school because we consider this green outdoor education important. During NL Doet, several teachers and I laid the foundation for the garden together.” The school, housing corporation Alwel, and other sponsors contributed to its design with a willow branch tipi, vegetable gardens, and a flower garden for insects.

Meaningful education

Year 6 teacher Vincent van Gorp drew up the design. He has also had raised vegetable beds on the terrace next to his classroom for years. “You can give instruction in the classroom, but it is wonderful that they can apply what they have learned outdoors. That makes the lesson truly meaningful; they are working together and can also contribute and carry out their own ideas.”

Rowan is completely in his element. Today is his 12th birthday, and he calmly lays out the seed potatoes for the other pupils in the beds. “I have had my own 100-square-meter vegetable garden and a greenhouse for tomatoes and cucumbers for several years. My grandfather is also a member of the allotment association, and we help each other. I really like this school garden too. It is relaxing.”

Tasting

Neighbor Diana looks proudly at all the children digging and shoveling. “Hats off to everyone involved! I think it’s fantastic,” she says. “I love the children’s cheerful presence and think it’s wonderful that they will soon see what comes from a seed or seed potato. That they learn to taste things and may then like them more than they expected. And who knows, perhaps they will continue doing it at home too.”

Two pupils come over to her. “Did you make the soup we were allowed to taste at the beginning of the lesson?” Diana confirms that she did. “We thought it was really tasty!” And off they go again, back into the neighborhood school garden.