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Plants and trees |
Exploring and naming plants and trees |
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Take care of a plant - e.g. a tree you have planted, by asking the children questions to help them connect to the plant's needs "Look at the plant, I wonder why it's leaves are drooping down. What can we do to make it feel better?" |
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Plants and trees |
Exploring and naming plants and trees |
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Give plants and trees names - so that they become unique individuals and the children feel a personal connection - they can even make name signs for their plants (e.g. Mark the Marrow or Grandfather Tree). |
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Plants and trees |
Exploring and naming plants and trees |
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Write your name on a stick then put it in the garden near plants you have planted or want to take care of. Go and visit those plants regularly, creating a sense of personal responsibility and connection. |
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Plants and trees |
Exploring and naming plants and trees |
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Before touching a tree, close your Eyes and imagine love filling your Hands. Touch the tree with your loving Hands and try to listen to what the plant is telling through your Hands. Remember that trees don't have voices and ears but communicate through feelings. Can you feel the tree communicating? |
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Plants and trees |
Exploring and naming plants and trees |
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Talk about what plants need (water, sun, air and soil) to grow. |
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Plants and trees |
Exploring and naming plants and trees |
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Recognise the different parts of a plant or tree: flowers, seeds, stem/trunk, leaf, roots. |
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Plants and trees |
Exploring and naming plants and trees |
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Invent a ceremony for planting that welcomes the plant in its new home, thanks it and offers it love and reassurance that you will take care of it. Use songs, poems and/or dance in the ceremony. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Explore the properties of soil: what is soil made of? What makes it fertile? |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Discover how humus is formed naturally in woodlands. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Learn about soil erosion and how to prevent it. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Learn the common names of common minibeasts (e.g. earthworm, woodlice, stag beetle). |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Listen to stories about earthworms, bacteria, fungi, insects and other creatures that keep the soil healthy and happy. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Lie down on the earth and experience a simple guided visualisation of feeling safely held and protected by the Earth. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Dance in a circle, or in undulating line like a worm's movement, to songs about the soil, worms or earth. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Sing songs about worms, compost or minibeasts. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Experience walking barefoot on sand, clay, loam soil etc. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Watch, touch and hold minibeasts that live in the soil. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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See, smell and touch different types of soils e.g. in a forest, garden, clay pit, beach. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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Use hand tools to dig in sand and soil. |
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Soil and stone |
Exploring soil and soil life |
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See, smell and touch soil. |
