Resources
Protective clothing and boots ,child-sized gloves ,long-handled spade, fork, rake, broom ,metal child-sized hand tools ,wheelbarrows, buckets ,canes ,twine, plant markers, waterproof pens ,range of flower pots, large containers, hanging baskets ,old kitchen pots, pans and utensils ,peat-free compost ,watering cans, water supply ,collecting pots and good magnifiers ,washing-up bowl for hand and tool washing ,gardening magazines with colourful images
Books
* Tilda's seeds Melanie Eclare (Ragged Bears)
* Eddie's garden and how to make things grow Sarah Garland (Frances Lincoln) * Seeds Patricia Whitehouse (Raintree)
Children can
* Work out the best location for a new growing patch or container
* Mark out the patch on grass with string
* Help to cut and lift turf, examine the root mat
* Experience the excitement of finding worms, millipedes and woodlice
* Use their whole bodies working with long tools
* Learn how to use long-handled spades to dig deeply
* Crumble and rake soil to a fine tilth
* Fill and transport soil in buckets and wheelbarrows
* Handle and mould moist loam soil
* Play with a range of flower pots of different sizes and shapes
* Mix water with soil to make mud pies and stews
* Search for 'treasure' in the soil
* Visit a garden centre, choosing what to grow
* Prepare trays, pots and baskets for planting
* Prepare sowing lines in the vegetable patch with pegs, string and labels
* Sing songs such as 'Mary Mary quite contrary' and 'Oats and beans and barley grows'
* Examine seeds with magnifying lenses
* Sow seeds, learning when and how to water
* Be excited as tiny sprouts appear
* Marvel at the miniature plants and roots as crops are thinned
* Design cane structures for plants to climb
* Use brooms to tidy up
* Wash tools and keep the storage tidy
* Learn about keeping safe when working with soil.
Jan White is a freelance consultant specialising in early years outdoor play. Her new book Playing and Learning Outdoors will be published in June as part of Nursery World's Good Practice series
