Need ideas for 'competitions' to engage pre-school & primary aged kids with the village gardening club?

[iknowimcoming]

No idea what topic this should be in - sorry!

Been asked to come up with ideas that will appeal to younger kids in the village to encourage them and their families/parents to participate in the village gardening shows which are twice a year (March and September). The gardening club is run by lovely octogenarians who have in recent years put in quite a bit of time,money and effort, going into the pre-school and primary school, providing 'stuff' for the kids to enter competitions with, only to find no one bothers/turns up! Sadly I think this is largely due to unrealistic/somewhat out of date perceptions of what young children find fun/motivating and how much spare time parents have for this sort of thing!

My kids are in their 20's so I'm not exactly in touch, but I'm thinking along the lines of 'grow the tallest sunflower' i.e. supply seeds/compost/pots/instructions and competition info (to school), kids take them home, grow them and take a picture of themselves with it (on a specific date maybe?) and either send to GC (or school if safeguarding issue?) and school/GC pick winners from each class/year and child gets prize of ?? Gift card?? maybe everyone who enters gets small bag of sweets or similar? Is this totally out of touch?

I'm planning to speak to the schools in September but would like some ideas to put to them initially, so if any of you are rainbows/brownies/ beavers/cubs etc leaders and have ideas for simple things that could work (or even websites with ideas) I'd be very grateful. Thanks!

@Username75184 absolutely agree.

And I would also say having done this for twenty plus years, most of that pre children, the kids love it and the ones who win are those who deserve to.

The school might not spot adult intervention but with garden village show type things it's very obvious when someone had cheated and what is child's work.

One local Horticultural Society gives out sunflower seeds/pots at the March show, and the sunflowers are judged at the September show.

We have a show this weekend. The kids categories are:

• a painted rock
• vase/mug of flowers
• 3 decorated cupcakes
• a fruit/veg you have grown

Classes in previous years have been:

• a Lego flower
• a picture made of natural materials
• a drawing of a flower on a paper plate

DD also likes to enter the beginners floral art class and the photography section.

The prizes are wildflower seeds and a £5 voucher for the local independent garden centre.

I've also seen
"Make a pizza on a paper plate"

Rosettes/medals are also a good prize.

Seems unnecessary on a thread about something so small.

I really hope your mood is better tomorrow. Getting personal over small things is not a good sign.

*Seems unnecessary on a thread about something so small.

I really hope your mood is better tomorrow. Getting personal over small things is not a good sign.*

But you are saying that people shouldn't bother offering things for the community to engage with at all because parents are too busy which is just madness. People do have time to do things like grow a sunflower with a child. If you don't have time for such a basic activity then it's you that should be taking stock of your own life.

I also agree with @Username75184 . The children are lucky to have a group that wants to engage with them and protect a different experience.

If I was so busy that I couldn't plant a seed then I'd be even more grateful that other people had the time to do this sort of stuff with my children.

I like the idea having a drawing or craft option.

What about a photo competition ?

Our village show has a vegetable monster category for young children, and a garden on a plate type of thing for 8+.

Perhaps they could also give away free seeds (at the appropriate time of year) with a common hashtag for posting on social media.

We have a community seed library cabinet too.

I wonder about this.

Family life is hard now. Most parents work full time, daily reading, home work projects, clubs, looking after grandparents. I’m a sahm and if the kids want to do it I would internally grit my teeth and and do it with a smile but most families just wouldn’t have the time to plant, look after and then we may have to miss out a regular comitment to go to the show.

My oldest wouldn’t want to do as while she enjoys gardening but hates competitions.

I saw something similar at a county show in Wales, mini-gardens in a box. Honestly, they were the best things at the show. Run a close second by fruit & vegetable animals.

Cress. It grows quickly and you can do the eggs or just a bit of cotton wool.

Grow spring onions in a jar, get a bunch of spring onions from the supermarket. Leave the elastic band on, cut most of the onions off so you have the roots tied together.

Use another elastic band to fasten them to a jam jar, add water up to the roots and leave to grow.

Bug exploring. You can get various bug explorer kits to examine the bugs in the garden / or park. This could be done as an activity at the gardening shows. Give the children a container, one with holes so the bug isn't going to die.

Give prizes for different bugs collected. You could have a card with the names and pictures of various bugs, so lady bird, butterfly, caterpillar etc.

Prizes could be plants that they can bring back to the next show for a different prize.

Depending on the school could it become an afterschool activity?