Create a fragrant garden

This week we have been digging in the dirt and making our own beautiful fragrant garden.
This is a wonderful combination of messy play and creating something lasting and beautiful that can be appreciated by all.
First we started with an outing to the plant nursery. We rang ahead of time to ask which was their quietest day. We have a lovely local shady nursery with a interesting winding path and large red fish in a pond. We purchased:

• lemon verbena
• geraniums: lemon, rose, lime, peppermint
• mints: spearmint, peppermint
• bergamont
• pennyroyal
• rosemary
• lavender

 Most of these plants were in the herb section.
We had great fun digging and transferring the plants and smelling the leaves of the geranium plants. Scented geraniums are grown mainly for their foliage because of the wonderful scents they have when their leaves are rubbed.  They work well in containers and small spaces, and can be grown successfully either indoors or out.
The best fun we had though, and ongoing, was watering the plants when they were all happily planted in their beds.

“It was such a pleasure to sink one's hands into the warm earth, to feel at one's fingertips the possibilities of the new season.”
― Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden

RESOURCES: Herb Gardening Guide from Garden.org includes guides on growing, basil, parsley, sage, dill, mint, chives, oregano, thyme, marjoram, rosemary and frech tarragon.

Mud play



Are you lucky enough to have a mud patch in your garden, preschool or child care centre?

THEORY:
Did you know that playing in the mud can make you happy, healthy, smart and creative? Exposure to friendly soil bacteria could improve mood by boosting the immune system just as effectively as antidepressant drugs, a new study suggests. Find out more good news about his fun activity: 10 reasons why we should let children play in the mud at Let the Children Play

HOW TO MAKE A MUD PATCH:
Creating a Mud Patch at early childhood Ireland
Make a Mud Kitchen for Mud Day at Jan White Natural Play

ACTIVITIES FOR MUD PLAY WITH PRESCHOOLERS:
3 Preschool science projects exploring dirt and mud

Even if you don't have room for a patch you can provide mud play in smaller ways suggested here:


Mud wedding cakes at posie blogs

Contain it at Chasing Cheerios



Make mud creations at Via Joy

Sand play

There is nothing like wet sand on a hot sunny day. It is a wonderful open ended activity that needs nothing more than sand and hands.
Developmental facts about sand play:
It is sensory and encourages exploration and imagination and social skills if done in a group of two or more.
It developments muscle strength in hands and arms and in the upper body.
Measuring and pouring and constructing help develop maths and science concepts such as full and empty, big and small.
It develops language skills when sharing, explaining and telling stories of what is happening. Read more:

Sand Play extras

Natural materials: stones, shells, pine cones, leaves, flowers, large smooth rocks,

Kitchen equipment: RECYCLE: drink bottles, spatulas, rolling pins, funnels, sieves, colanders, measuring spoons and cups, scoops, wooden spoons, plastic spoons, plastic containers, egg cartons, scales, plastic mixing bowls, jugs, plastic bowls and dishes, potato masher, plastic cookie cutters, pots and pans.

Sand Toys: sand wheel, bucket, spade, digger, sand combs or wide toothed combs

Toys:
- blocks and block people
- shakers
- plastic animals
- play kitchen
- magnifiers
- vehicles including trucks
- train tunnels
- trees 
- people
- tea set

Household items:
- pegs
- pieces of material
- straws
- gardening tools and gloves
- tubes and cylinders
- child size table and chairs 



Rules for the sandpit:
Don't throw sand
Don't eat sand

Sandpit cleanliness:
Sun is a great sanitiser.
Cover sandpit when it is not in use or when you leave the play area.

Books to read to pre-schoolers about sand:

Jump Into Science: Sand for 4 to 8 year olds
The Seashore Book for 4 to 8 year olds
Miranda's Beach Day for ages 3 to 8

Recommended toys:
Green Toys Sand Play Set is made from recycled plastic milk containers that save energy, reduce landfill waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions, all in the name of good green fun.

Grow some tomatoes

Kids love to dig in the dirt so you can involve them in planting veges and herbs from an early age. Cherry tomatoes are a good plant to start with as they are quick growing, visible and can be eaten straight from the bush. If you don't have a large garden they can be grown in a pot on the verandah.
All tomatoes are great growing, in Australia, right now as they are so expensive in the shops.
Kids can help prepare the soil, dig small holes, plant the seedlings or seeds, and water the garden. Later they can mulch around the plants.*  It's the waiting that's the hard part, but we all need to learn patience, right?
It's also a great way to get them interested in eating salads and learning what their favourite tomato sauce is made from.
When you visit to see how your tomato plants are growing don't forget to pinch off the suckers that grow inbetween the two branches. They don’t make any fruit and just take energy away from the rest of the plant.
* Let the soil warm up before you mulch to keep the warmth in as tomatoes thrive in a warm environment.
Don't forget to wash hands well with soap and water after handling potting mix, soil or compost.

MORE IDEAS: Fact Sheet about growing tomatoes: Pete's Patch at Gardening Australia


PHOTO THANKS TO CANADIAN GARDENING

10 messy outdoor play ideas

SENSORY PLAY using "stuff" you may already have

Here is a list of my top ten favorite items to encourage sensory play!
1. shaving cream with small plastic rakes
2. soapy water with whisks, bubble wands, and sponges
3.  coloured water with clear pipes and other other tubing materials, funnels, and cups
4.  a mixture of rice and beans with sieves, funnels, and scoops
5.  mud with sticks, leaves, and rocks
6.  dry sand with spoons and bowls
7.  dried corn with empty clear plastic bottles and cans
8.  a collection of leaves, flower petals, & twigs with heavy rocks (or a mortar & pestle)
9.  a tub lined with butcher paper, marbles, and squirt bottles of paint
10.  ice cubes that melt are marvellous science.

OF COURSE ALL THESE IDEAS REQUIRE ADULT SUPERVISION especially if the children are under 5!