Nursery Kids Grow Their Own Lunch
Sheffield nursery Kidz@Work is weeding out its fussy eaters – by encouraging children to grow their own veg.
Young visitors to the childcare facility at Sheffield Business Park have developed a taste for fresh food since managers put gardening on the menu of activities.
“The children get really excited about it and the parents think it’s great – some book their children in specifically on the days when the gardener is going to be here,” says owner Caron Ramanathan.
“If you ask kids where vegetables come from, most of them will say the supermarket. We’re changing that. It's really good for children, especially if they are fussy eaters, to plant a seed, water and take care of it, dig it up, bring it in to our chef and see it cooked. They love to eat it.”
The nursery called in Catcliffe mum Claire Croft to lead the gardening lessons after a tip-off from a neighbour who uses their facilities.
Claire turned to gardening when her daughter Rebecca developed an aversion to veg. She says: “Rebecca was fine until she started going to school, when she started being fussy about her food. We started growing vegetables in the garden and she started eating them again.”
Now Claire is employing the same technique to a larger audience at Kidz@Work: “I really enjoy it. The kids have really got into it and when they’ve been picking peas there aren’t any left for the kitchen!”
In addition to growing produce like radishes, strawberries, green beans, carrots, lettuces and beetroot, Caron says the children are also helping to grow plants and flowers in the nursery’s small garden.
The green-fingered campaign has been praised by Sheffield Business Park. Manager Becky Wyatt says: “We are keen to support sustainability – whether through our green transport plan or through activities by our occupiers. It’s great to see the children get so enthusiastic about growing their own food.”
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