YES, we had geared up for ‘The Earth Day’ well in advance. April 22nd being an annual reminder for all of us of our responsibility to be good stewards of the Earth and this year’s theme for Earth Day 2020 being “Climate Action” it made it all the more important. So ahead of Earth day, we had decided to plant saplings with my kids, to teach them the importance of trees, Mother Nature and the significance of planting some.
Arhaan from G 3C and Zayyan from G 1B of Credence High School wanted to take the opportunity to contribute to a healthier Earth by planting a home garden and producing organic vegetables, so we had chose to plant tomatoes and bell peppers. It was an easiest and most sustainable way to positively affect the surroundings with a more clean air and healthier environment.
- We first started by taking a use and throw container, cleaned it thoroughly, pierced some small holes on the backside and soiled it halfway.
- We cut the tomatoes into 2 halves and scooped out the seeds in the container, back we filled in some moistened soil and let it rest in the balcony. During this time kids really loved watering the seeds and kept reminding me to involve them when I am planning to transfer the saplings to bigger pots. What a better way of realising the importance of involving kids in the whole process so that they experience and remember the hard work that went behind it.
- We waited patiently for a week more to witness the tiny sprouts growing into little saplings. It was now time to build some room for the roots so that the saplings grow further.
- We then started to transfer these little saplings to paper glasses and a later to bigger pots with a bit of compost going into the bottom where we dig a hole and transferred the saplings. A very important thing that we learnt during the course was the fact that a scoop of compost will give your plant an extra boost, and also help keep the plant from going into shock from transplanting.
Kids watched the whole process very keenly, though kept peeping into the balcony and giving me updates on how quickly the saplings were growing, they couldn’t contain their excitement at all.
The best part of this gardening was the fact that, during this hour when we were all locked up in our houses far from social distancing; kids not just learnt new skills but also had fun. They developed self-confidence by spending time in the garden tending plants. They loved digging the soil, getting dirty, watching the roots grow and now they can’t wait before the plant bears fruit.
I encourage parents to involve kids to gardening as it is very educational and they develop a sense of responsibility of caring for plants, learn about the cause and effect of not taking care, self-confidence, discovery, teamwork, creativity, learning about where fresh food comes from. All in all it was a great learning experience for the children. By motivating kids to make a difference and respect the world we live in, we can help build a better future.
I encourage parents to involve kids to gardening as it is very educational and they develop a sense of responsibility of caring for plants, learn about the cause and effect of not taking care, self-confidence, discovery, teamwork, creativity, learning about where fresh food comes from. All in all it was a great learning experience for the children. By motivating kids to make a difference and respect the world we live in, we can help build a better future.
By Ms. Zainab Anees
Parent – Credence High School