A few weeks ago at lunch, our Nursery pupils began discussing asking whether they could grow some of the foods they were eating. Together, we decided on a list of things we’d like to try growing: potatoes, carrots, strawberries, flowers… and, most intriguingly, jelly! 

So we decided to see what would happen if we planted jelly, carefully filling pots with soil, making a hole with our finger, placing the jelly cube inside, covering it up and watering it. 

Along the way, the girls shared their ideas about what plants need to grow, agreeing that warmth, light and water are essential. They also showed impressive reasoning and imagination, deciding that if the pots were left outside the jelly might be eaten by foxes, so the safest place was indoors. 

Moments like this capture the magic of early years learning. By following children’s questions and ideas, we support them to explore cause and effect, develop scientific thinking, build vocabulary and express their understanding of the world. Anyone for jelly?