If you’re a regular visitor to my blog you’ll know that getting children into gardening is a passion of mine. Gardening fits so well with lots of the things that kids tend to automatically like: hands-on activity, exploring nature, and helping the grown-ups spring instantly to mind, not to mention getting grubby!
I’m always on the lookout for products, activities and crafts that encourage a love of gardening in children, and my latest discovery is a rather fab new book from Dorling Kindersley. I’ve got five copies to give away too!
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I Can Grow A Sunflower is produced in association with the RHS, and is aimed at children aged 3-5. The book takes budding gardeners on the journey of a mystery seed, learning how to plant it, what it needs to grow, and what it looks like when it flowers. There’s a height chart and a packet of seeds included, so children can create their own version of the seed’s journey and learn about the plant life cycle first-hand.
So what do I like about this book? Well for starters, it does a great job of balancing the fun of gardening with the science and facts behind the subject matter. There are facts and information dotted throughout the book, but it’s not dry or overwhelming. The sunflower-themed height chart and packet of seeds included take it beyond a storybook and into a hands-on activity, which for me is absolutely the right approach to getting kids into gardening. Having read about planting seeds, they will naturally want to get out there and plant some!
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The book is also really nicely illustrated in a style that will appeal to young readers, with clear print and bright, easy-to-follow pictures. I think it’s brilliant that the actual flowers and seeds featured are real images with name labels, rather than illustrations; this makes them so much more useful for children when it comes to identifying plants in the real world.
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There’s a gentle, subtle introduction to lots of basic gardening facts; we learn about things like what plants need to grow, why it’s a good idea to sow extra seeds, and the role of garden insects and minibeasts.
At six years old Lily is slightly older than the target age of this book, but she thoroughly enjoyed reading it and exploring what was behind the flaps. She was particularly fascinated with the underground pictures that show what’s going on before the seed pokes above the soil, this is obviously something she hasn’t really seen before and it really grabbed her. She has grand plans for growing a sunflower that’s taller than the height chart, so watch this space!
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I Can Grow a Sunflower is a lovely way to introduce young children to a fun gardening project and the gardening principles behind it. If you’re looking to encourage young children to have a go at gardening it’s ideal, and with seed sowing season officially here now’s a great time to get stuck in! Do you know a budding young gardener who would love to receive a copy?
Win a copy of I Can Grow A Sunflower
I’m giving away five copies of I Can Grow A Sunflower, each with an RRP of £12.99. To enter, just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: 15th APRIL 2018 11:59PM
UK ENTRIES ONLY
FULL T&C’s IN THE RAFFLECOPTER ABOVE
Dorling Kindersley provided the books for review and prize purposes. All opinions and comments are honest and genuine.
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