The idea of the garden was born in the spring of 2012 when a group of children and parents came together with suggestions of growing vegetables in our garden.We started with few seeds of tomatoes, carrots, beans and we were amazed exploring the power of nature in our garden.
When we are thinking about our childhood, our memories take us back into a magical trip into nature. We all share memories of gardens and trees, of butterflies and insects, of exploring and discovering the most amazing wonders of the world free in the middle of the nature. Throughout most of history, when children were free to play, their first choice was often to flee to the nearest wild place—whether it was a big tree or brushy area in the yard or a watercourse or woodland nearby (Pyle 2002).
Looking at what research work over the years, reveals about the power and benefits of the nature, we believe that:
- Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced motor fitness, including coordination, balance and agility, and they are sick less often (Fjortoft 2001, Grahn et al. 1997).
When children play in natural environments, their play is more diverse with imaginative and creative play that fosters language and collaborative skills (Faber Taylor et al. 1998, Fjortoft 2000, Moore & Wong 1997).- Exposure to natural environments improves children’s cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning and observational skills (Pyle 2002).
- Nature buffers the impact of life stress on children and helps them deal with adversity. The greater the amount of nature exposure, the greater the benefits (Wells 2003).
- Play in a diverse natural environment reduces or eliminates anti-social behavior such as violence, bullying, vandalism and littering, as well reduces absenteeism (Coffey 2001, Malone & Tranter 2003, Moore & Cosco 2000).
- Nature helps children develop powers of observation and creativity and instills a sense of peace and being at one with the world (Crain 2001).
- Children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other (Moore 1996).
Our garden grows every day and we are fortunate to have the space to discover the walk of a worm, the fragrance of the trees or the beauty of our grown vegetable. We encourage the children to discover the world of organic grown vegetable.
“Individually, we are one drop. Together we are an ocean”
Ryunosuke Satoro
Sunflower Early Learning Society 