Growth

Foundation stage

Beautiful grounds give inspiration for so much learning through fun, focused activities! Learn about plant shapes, colours, and life cycles.

A day’s programme does not necessarily include all the listed activities and can be adapted to suit individual needs and requirements. Normally we fit in three to five activities during your visit.

Activities
Activities Learning objective: the children should learn...
Bud hunt Make careful observations about the changes occurring to plants in the spring (January to March)
Bee game through a drama activity about the life cycle of a plant, learn about the role of bees in pollination
Colour palettes to look carefully at the variety of colours found on different parts of plants
Colour filters to see the Gardens from different coloured viewpoints especially bees
Leaf match to carefully observe the wide range of evergreen and deciduous leaves in the gardens (shape, colour, and texture) but if winter this is just evergreens!
Mirrors to appreciate the world above their heads, especially light and leaves
Seed survival game to explore the many hazards that seedlings face in their fight for survival! What could you do to help them out? (Summer term)
Colour sticky strips about the range of different coloured and textured materials found in the Gardens by collecting items to create an individual coloured strip to take home
Smelly sticky caterpillars about herbs while creating an individual smelly strip to take home
Giant caterpillar game to explore the environment through touch as a giant caterpillar. Would a caterpillar eat this? Note, this is a blindfold game of trust and is done in adult led small groups
You've been framed Work collaboratively to produce a piece of art work on the ground using found natural materials
Session times
  • Pre-school 10am to 12pm
    You are welcome to stay for lunch
  • Reception 10am to 2.30pm
    with a break for a picnic lunch at 12pm in or near the Education Centre
Suggested pre-visit activities
  • Read Jack and the Beanstalk
  • Plant seeds like beans for your own school grounds
Suggested post-visit activities
  • Using natural material collected from the visit create a textual collage
  • Grow and look after plants
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