Reception's trip to Breakspears Community Garden

On Thursday, Reception went on a trip to Breakspears Community Garden. We spent time looking around the garden, spotting lots of different colours and textures, and talking about how plants grow. The children were especially keen to spot anything new, and we encouraged them to notice details carefully using magnifying glasses.

We started by talking about what a community garden is and how it supports the local community. We then did a plant hut, looking around the garden for 6 different kinds of plants, including a strawberry plant and chives. We looked at the shape and colour of the leave and any flowers to help us identify the plants. 

We then chose a plant to have go at doing an observational drawing. The children used the magnifying glasses to carefully look at leaves, stems, and flowers, using a fine line pen to put the details onto paper. Some children chose to draw the plants they liked most, while others tried to include small details they had spotted—like leaf shapes and patterns. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they focused on their observations.

We also got to see the fish, which the children loved!