Groups of children wearing red pointed hats are walking around the garden. They flutter through the garden, carrying watering cans. They are clearly in their element. They do small gardening jobs, search for flowers and soil animals. They touch, smell and discover.
Time to discover
In autumn and spring, the very young residents of Utrecht work in small groups, under the guidance of a parent or carer, carrying out all kinds of discovery activities in the garden. The activities are adapted to the season and the location.
Gnome Trail, a do-it-yourself lesson on site, is the starting point of Utrecht Natuurlijk’s differentiated garden programme. Through this programme, preschoolers become acquainted with plants and animals in the garden and with simple gardening activities.
A different programme for each group
In Garden Explorers, pupils in groups 3 and 4 learn about vegetable gardening with the help of raised vegetable beds. In Green Fingers, pupils in groups 5, 6, 7 or 8 work in their own small gardens from April onwards. In autumn, the gardens offer the ‘Seeds and such’ lesson for the upper grades, which this year also includes a link to the protein transition.
A record!
This school year, Utrecht Natuurlijk has received a record number of registrations for the Gnome Trail lesson. More than 3,000 pupils from 123 groups will come to enjoy the garden. In addition, around 700 teachers, interns, parents and carers will accompany the children during the activities. Such a first introduction to the garden lays an important foundation. Enthusiasm and success guaranteed.
Want to know more?
The concept behind this lesson is easy to adopt. Would you like to know more about it? Then contact Selma Renting via [email protected].
Click here for more information about Utrecht Natuurlijk’s nature education programme for primary education.