Children’s Gardening Club at Festina Lente Wicklow

A fun & educational gardening club for children aged from 5-10 years old throughout the year linking gardens and the environment, where children can interactively learn about plants, wildlife and the environment and giving children giving a perfect opportunity to discover more about sowing seeds, testing soil, insects and mini-beasts, importance of encouraging wildlife into the garden, simple propagation, trees, herbs and harvesting seasonal crops.  

Children’s 8 Week Gardening Club for Spring 2016

An 8 week hands-on spring season themed gardening club for kids aged from 5-10 years old, running on Saturdays from 2-4pm from April 9th to May 28th.

Club members will receive a membership pack including their membership card and will learn about plants, seed sowing, planting out, weeding, soil types, garden mini-beasts, trees and herbs.

April 9th 2016 – Week 1. Starting with a seed….
Seeds of all shapes and sizes! Compare seed types and plant out vegetable and flower seeds in seed trays in the polytunnel. Plant seed potatoes in the ground and into pots (to take home later). Plant strawberry plants out in the Garden Club plot. Make a funky cress head to take home!

April 16th 2016 – Week 2. All plants great and small.
From tiny seedlings to big trees- what do plants have in common? Why are leaves (mostly) green? How do plants stand up? What do they need to grow well? What do they do? Take part in a fun scavenger hunt to find plant based materials and make a lovely leaf print.

April 23rd 2016 – Week 3. Soil types, compost and manure.
Time to get your hands dirty! What is soil made from? Take a closer look to find out. Take soil samples from different parts of the garden and use your pH kit to test them. How is compost made? Why is manure good for a garden? Do plants always need a soil-based medium to grow? Propagate your own plant cuttings in soil and in water.

April 30th 2016 – Week 4. Little weeds…
Plants, weeds and wildflowers. What’s the difference? Why do we weed flower beds and vegetable plots? What happens if we don’t? Identify common weeds and learn how to weed a flower bed. Do weeds have other uses? Make delicious nettle soup.

May 7th 2016 – Week 5. Mini-beasts!
Be nature detectives! Explore the gardens to discover the huge amount of wildlife under your feet, in the air, on trees and in flowers, in water and under old logs and rocks. What do these creatures do? Are they beneficial to gardeners and the environment? Where do butterflies go in winter? Make a ladybird house to hang up at home.

May 14th 2016 – Week 6. Tree of Life
Why are trees special? How do they benefit humans, wildlife and the environment? Find out more about native Irish trees and their importance in a garden or woodland and gain a greater appreciation of biodiversity. Make a giant tree poster to take home.

May 21st 2016 – Week 7. How did your garden grow?
How did you seed sowing go? Time to pot on or plant out! Prick out seedlings into larger pots ready to take home and plant out in the garden. Learn how to take care of your young plants until they get big enough to produce flowers or vegetables. Do the potatoes need earthing up? Find out how to mind them until they’re ready to harvest.

May 28th 2016 – Week 8. Herbs.
Take a super sensory walk around the garden to discover different herbs. How many herbs can you identify? Smell and taste them… What uses do herbs have in cooking or medicinally? Brew up a fresh herbal tea and make a funky flower pot to plant up with your favourite herb to take home.

Price is €80 for the Spring Club!  They offer discounts when you book in 3 children or more from the same family.  Please contact Andrea for more details on this discount.

Places are limited so don’t wait too long to book your child’s place!

For more details please email  or ring 087 7373703.

Children will need to wear old clothes as this is a hand on practical gardening club and clothes for the different types of Irish weather, ie raingear, warm clothes.  Children will need to bring a snack with them.