Herbaceous Sensory Play

If you have an herb garden in your centre, this is a great sensory play opportunity for children of all ages!

Recently, the children became interested in the herbs we had growing in the garden.  They asked if they could pick some so we went together and found a few; rosemary, parsley, oregano and a tiny bit of dill.  Once the herbs were harvested it was time to cook!!

There go those scissor skills again! This is great for fine motor practice, as well as wonderfully aromatic. This play is not only engaging, it's an interesting way to get the children thinking about the garden, growing and cooking food, methods of preparing food and various other healthy eating topics. 

This girl decided to make a soup, so she added water and put her pot onto the stove.  Later she put on the lid to let it “simmer” for a while.  It looked and smelled delicious and allowed the children to practice a few new cooking skills!  We were also able to introduce and discuss new cooking and gardening vocabulary like “simmer”, “harvest”, “stew”, “mince”, “chop” etc.

Doesn’t it look beautiful? And I’m sure you can imagine the fabulous smell! The children really enjoyed this play and we were able to extend on their learning around the garden and cooking which is always a plus! ;)

If you don’t have an herb garden check out our blog on how to create one with the children here.

As always, if you enjoyed this provocation in your centre send us a message or comment below to let us know! We’d love to see your comments and photos :)