On the Coast – Families Issue 97 I December/January 2019 | Page 20

Bateau Bay Community Garden
Do your kids love Vegetables?
What if you never had to find a way to
sneak greens into your child’s diet again?
What if you could provide a space for your
children to free play in nature where food
is growing? What if your children could see
work and play as the same thing?
At Bateau Bay Community Garden
(BBCG) we provide a place where people
from all walks of life can come together,
enjoy fresh healthy produce, exercise,
play, rest and learn. The garden provides
a holistic perspective, with a healthy,
sustainable and community minded lens.
A typical visit for the children attending
our garden varies but over time we
have observed rhythms in which they
have created, allowing them to drive the
activities completely on their own.
Some of these activities include:
ƒ ƒ Parents/Guardians bring all their fruit
and vegetable kitchen scraps and the
children assist to empty these into the
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KI DZ O N T H E C OA ST
compost bins or worm farms
ƒ ƒ Children assist to wash the compost
buckets and put them in the sun to dry
ƒ ƒ Parents/Guardians bring crushed egg
shells for children to sprinkle over the
garden beds to naturally protect our
vegetable plants and add nutrients to
the soil
ƒ ƒ Children collect watering cans and
water fruit and vegetable plants
ƒ ƒ Children harvest vegetables and nibble
while they play
ƒ ƒ Children explore in the
pond for frogs and tad
poles
ƒ ƒ Children observe
and learn about
all kinds of
creatures like
lady bugs,
worms, magpies
and rainbow
lorikeets
ƒ ƒ Children collect leaves with rakes,
placing them into the wheel barrow
to add to the compost bins (always
requesting wheel barrow rides when
the work is completed).
Free play often includes but certainly
not limited to digging, playing on the
swings, slippery dip, kicking balls, drawing,
running, climbing, balancing and whatever
their amazing minds can come up with.
Our garden philosophy/values include:
HEALTH – We have a range of parents/
grandparents/guardians who
attend with their children and
it’s a regular occurrence to see
the children forage through a
broccoli plant and nibble on a
freshly picked floret or grab
a handful of basil and munch
while they play. We promote
a zero waste lunch box as all
the best food comes with no