"We were fortunate to receive funding from Cooke Aquaculture to purchase and build a Polycrub in our school playground. A group of parent volunteers helped to build raised beds and fill them with topsoil, ready for planting. It is amazing what you can grow in a Polycrub in Shetland and so lovely to see the excitement on the children’s faces as they watch tiny seeds grow into various fruit and vegetables that they can’t wait to harvest and eat! Over the past 4 years I have got to see my pupils successfully grow strawberries, blueberries, carrots, peas, lettuce, courgettes, celery, tatties, tomatoes, pumpkins, broccoli, cucumber, beetroot, onions, and garlic.
Having the opportunity to learn how to grow your own food supports children to develop lots of important life skills. They are responsible for each stage of the process from planting to harvesting and getting to decide what to do with their produce. I have noticed that the children are much more willing and excited about eating fruit and veg that they have grown themselves. The children enjoy harvesting, washing, peeling, chopping, and eating raw fruit and veg, the healthiest possible snack with the lowest possible food miles! They also like getting to cook and bake with their produce. Chocolate courgette cake was the favourite last year - the children worked together to make it from scratch using their ‘school-grown’ courgettes. They also learned about different ways of preserving fruit and veg and made jars of pickled beetroot to gift to their parents.
Aside from the obvious use of growing fruit and veg, our school Polycrub is a great outdoor classroom. It is usually lovely and warm, and through the cold winter it is a shelter from the wind and rain which allows children to learn outside. It is also a great place for messy learning experiences. We have had messy play, painting, sand trays, water trays and a woodwork bench in our school Polycrub. Using the Polycrub for these types of activities makes it so quick and easy to clean everything with the hose afterwards.
Children growing up nowadays tend to have a lot of screen time. The Polycrub is an ideal place for children to enjoy learning new skills in the fresh air and feel they have accomplished something important. It does their mental and physical health wonders to be busy working away outdoors in the Polycrub.
Polycrubs are a valuable resource for schools that support learning, health, and wellbeing, as well as providing a space for outdoor learning in all kinds of weather. I can’t recommend Polycrubs enough - they are a worthwhile investment for schools that is quickly paid off by the valuable learning experiences they provide, for both children and staff."
