Magical flavors from the Babylon’s gardens

The purpose of the education is to familiarize the participants of the education with a variety of garden plants, the subtleties of their planting, which end up on our everyday table in a playful form.

In the largest flower park in Lithuania, “Babylon’s gardens” over 40 thousand annual plants from Lithuania and Poland have been planted. An educational garden has been established, where plants of various types and varieties are grown: from herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers to pumpkins and potatoes. Education “Magical flavors from the garden of Babylon’s gardens” consists of theoretical and practical parts.

The theoretical part (duration – up to 20 min.) begins in the educational garden of Babylon, where students are introduced to the plants, vegetables, herbs, spices, tea herbs that are used on a daily basis.

In the practical part (duration – 40 min.), children will learn the basics of gardening: they will learn about the ecosystem (the creation of compost, they will learn how to sort, they will learn how earthworms naturally break down the raw materials in the compost, etc.) with the seeds of plants (radish, lettuce, potato, bean, etc.) , will learn how to sow them, plant them in an educational greenhouse, later naturally evaluate plant growth cycles from previously planted plants, be able to distinguish rhizome plants from stem plants, know their names, how they grow, what interesting shapes and where they can be used, they will learn that in order to grow the plant, you need to take care of it, you will learn about the conditions necessary for the plant to grow (about the sun, heat energy, necessary moisture, what is the difference between growing plants in a greenhouse and outdoors) will remember together about the pyramid of healthy nutrition, i.e. will gain more independence in choosing food, develop eating habits, how important vegetables are for our body, the educator will talk to the children in a playful way about what they already knew and what knowledge was relevant to them, while exploring the plants in the spice garden, the children will choose the most fragrant herb from which tea can be made and feasting on it, they will be able to spontaneously express their emotions by drawing the most memorable plant or flower with artistic means. Children will also observe insects, which are abundant in flower gardens and spice gardens (cabbage butterflies, grasshoppers, bees, etc.)

Such an experiential activity for children allows them to be actively involved in creative and active activities and to discover answers through their specific experience, because such learning makes it meaningful and interesting for the learner himself, social and practical skills are developed. Methods used during education: conversation, discussion, test, self-expression through art.