Buninyong Gardens: The Perfect Classroom.
Friends of the Buninyong Botanic Gardens invited one hundred Buninyong Preschool students to the Gardens over two days in late October so they could experience all that the gardens offer and combine the visit with their study themes. This is the second time the activity has been conducted.
In 2014 the students looked at the importance of leaves. This year the focus was on water. The small group of Chris Hindhaugh, Anne King, Jennie de Jong, Lorraine Powell, Roger Permezel and Stephanie and Richard Patterson offered a range of engaging activities over the two days to small groups of six students to ensure that they all had ‘hands on’ experiences.
The groups rotated through four activities such as seed propagation, games and stories, musical instruments that used water and finally making and flying kites decorated with leaf rubbings. In each session students were expected to ask questions and make items to take home.
Chris, who helped organize the activities said, “It is wonderful to see their young minds quickly grasp quite complex ideas. By now they should all have seeds sprouting at home in their mini greenhouses.”
Anne King, President of the Friends of Buninyong Botanic Gardens was delighted to see so many happy faces in the Gardens. She said, “It was good to see the many parents appreciating the Gardens and the activities when they came to pick the children up at the end of the sessions. It is an important community resource for us to have and share.”
Wendy Stevens, Supervisor of the Buninyong Preschool, organised the excursion with other teachers and was happily assisted by a number of parents. “It is good for the students and the Preschool to be involved with local groups. For us it was an excellent day in a beautiful setting,” she said.
