Schools in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire enjoy more than one a day with Kids Country
Over 300 children from primary schools across the East of England have taken part in Kids Country’s Autumn Apples Events, supported by Co-operative Central England and PECT.
The events included a range of hands-on and interactive activities to really engage children with apples in every form – including their nutrition, how they are grown by British farmers, the history of apples, taste testing different varieties, making apple bird feeders, and planting a free apple tree in the school grounds for future generations to enjoy.
The week kicked off at the Bellbird Primary School, Sawston, Cambridgeshire, where Key Stage 1 teacher Maja Rix said: “The children enjoyed the practical activities, including the archery. and having an apple bird feeder to take home. Thank you so much to you and the whole team for such a fabulous afternoon. The children loved taking home their goodies, and for us teachers it was lovely to sit back and let others run the proceedings for an afternoon!”
By the middle of the week, Kids Country, the educational initiative of the East of England Agricultural Society, was at Warmington Primary School, Northamptonshire. Mikayla Aldous, teacher at Warmington Primary School, said: “Thank you ever so much to you and the whole team for providing such a great experience for the children. It was great to have four different activities that were very interactive – the children loved it, thank you!”
Children at Warmington Primary School taste testing different apple varieties with Heidi Latronico, Environmental Education Lead at PECT
The week closed at Clough and Risegate Community Primary School, Spalding, Lincolnshire, where Beverley Rooney, headteacher, said: “It was a thoroughly enjoyable event that really reinforced our school’s Farm 2 Fork curriculum. The importance of ensuring our children understand where their food comes from and how you plant and grow ingredients to make healthy food choices is essential. Our children loved the hands-on, informative activities and the whole event was incredibly well planned and managed. We will certainly be looking to book again next year!”
Children planting Clough and Risegate Community Primary School’s new apple tree with Hutchinsons agronomist, Jack Nicholson
Kids Country education manager, Sandra Lauridsen, says: “The Autumn Apples event started in 2021 and it is great to see it return this year by popular demand. Apples are an easy to come by and largely affordable British-grown fruit, and to get children enthusiastic about making an apple a day part of their routine is a great step towards making sensible food choices.
“We are grateful for all of the amazing volunteers and educators that make days like this a reality. Children are learning first-hand about ‘Healthy Choices’ with Co-operative Central England and PECT, and the opportunity to plant a fruit tree in the school grounds is always really popular.”
The Kids Country team goes on to their Breakfast Week in November, which is already sold out, with the team of educators and volunteers again set to head into three primary schools in the area.
Sandra continued: “It is encouraging that schools are still so engaged with helping their students to understand where their food comes from, how it is grown in local fields by farmers, and the nutritional impact of this home-grown food. We are also grateful to all the food and farming businesses and our corporate and individual volunteers that make time to help us in our aim to deliver exceptional, hands-on learning experiences for children based around food, farming and the countryside.”
