Little Growers - Story time in the garden Project
Little Growers was a joint initiative between Bellarine Community Health (BCH) and Geelong Regional Libraries Corporation (GRLC), developed as a pilot project to engage preschool children with exploring healthy sustainable food.
The program includes an outdoor Story Time in the Garden facilitated by a GRLC librarian, followed by a hands-on Get into the Garden activity facilitated by a Health Promotion practitioner and/or preschool staff.
Initially trialled at the Youth Guerrilla Garden, a youth-focused community garden, located behind Ocean Grove Library, the program was then promoted to Northern Bellarine-based preschool settings where Portarlington Preschool engaged as the second trial site.
The pilot reached 84 children through 5 collaborative Little Growers Story time sessions and 1 additional workshop.
Findings revealed a strong appetite from families and early years settings for programs which provide opportunities for children to connect with nature, engage with growing food, and creative ways to try new foods/veggies.
Due to the success of the program, Little Growers will continue to be delivered in Preschool settings within the Northern Bellarine by BCH with support from GRLC.