With the start of the Spring Term across the East of England, Kids Country, the education programme run by the East of England Agricultural Society, are reminding primary schools across the region of the opportunity to get booked in to one of their food and farming themed workshops – which are now all run exclusively on-site in schools.
Kids Country’s education manager, Sandra Lauridsen, said: “Our Kids Country events bring hands-on learning experiences that help Key Stage 1 and 2 children (age 5-11) to understand things like where food comes from, the value of eating nutritional in-season produce grown here in the UK, food miles, and keeping safe in the countryside.”
Sandra continued
: “We are focused on bringing memorable experiences to schools in our community, which helps children to make more meaningful relationships with food and the countryside that surrounds us all. In the East of England we are lucky to never be very far from both nature and productive farmland, and helping children to understand both is so important.
“For example, if a child can begin to understand what kind of food sources bees need all year round, and how essential they are for something like growing soft fruit or apples, then they might not only make good choices when it comes to managing any habitat around them – whether that’s a window box at home or patch of garden at school – but they might also remember the strawberry tasting they did with Kids Country and how the British in-season ones were so much tastier than the imported ones. It’s all about starting that food journey with children and bringing the curriculum to life.”
The 2024 programme includes two exciting new workshops – The Beekeeper and Pollination, and Seasonal Summer Fruits – with some availability remaining for schools to book on to these this year. Summer 2023 also saw Kids Country roll out summer holiday workshops for the first time and the team will be bringing those back for 2024.
The remainder of the 2023-24 programme includes:
- Breakfast with Kids Country – 23-26 January 2024 – fully booked
- Grow Your Own Produce – planting – 5, 6, 8 March 2024 – fully booked
- The Beekeeper and Pollination – 9th, 14th, 16th, 20th, 22nd May, 5th, 11th, 13th, 17th June 2024 – spaces available
- Seasonal Summer Fruits – June-July 2024 – spaces available
- Grow Your Own Produce – harvesting – 9. 10, 12 July 2024 – fully booked
- Summer Holiday Club – varied workshops – summer holidays 2024 – spaces available
- Breakfast with Kids Country – 5-8 November 2024 – spaces available
As well as the confirmed programme, Kids Country can also create bespoke workshops for schools – if there is a particular aspect of the curriculum that a school is interested in working on, they are invited to get in touch.
Sandra continued: “None of this would happen without an incredible small army of volunteers – from a retired school cook who helps get the sausages cooked for taste testing, to the farmer that takes time out of his busy day to bring an incredible tractor into the playground, and everyone else in between. Kids Country would not be able to bring food and farming to life for thousands of children every year without them, so we thank you all for your hard work in 2023 and for committing to helping us in 2024.”
Kids Country work with 1000s of primary school children every year to bring food, farming and countryside learning directly into the classroom and playground, and if you think your primary school could benefit from an activity delivered directly into school, please contact slauridsen@eastofengland.org.uk
To keep up to date with upcoming Kids Country events, please visit: Events – Kids Country (kids-country.co.uk) or follow the East of England Agricultural Society on Facebook, twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
