Family Garden
The family garden at Denton Island Community Centre is a fantastic space where groups can come together to enjoy activities that centre around growing and learning through play in a safe enjoyable space, pride of place is the summer house which can be used as a calming chill out area or for 1 to 1 work.
Here are some ways in which joining our gardening community can help you and your child.
- Being outdoors is so great for children as well as adults, children love the great outdoors and outdoor activities aid to keep them active.
- Gardening engages all sorts of senses and helps children to develop and recognise them without even realising. They can feel the texture of soil, seeds, flower and petals. They get to smell all the amazing flower scents and see all the colourful petals.
- It also helps develop hand-eye coordination and builds physical strength. Gardening is quite physical and requires the body to work hard digging, carrying, lifting, sieving, watering etc.
- As children garden, they develop important motor skills that will help them improve their academic skills such as writing, cutting and typing.
- A main aim for our family garden is to engage children in growing their own vegetables, they then gain a keen interest in eating them too. It can sometimes be a real struggle to get children to eat healthy foods and enjoy them. Growing vegetables not only teaches them the hard work that it takes to grow them, but they get a sense of achievement knowing they are eating food they have grown themselves.
Here at Denton Island Community Centre we endeavour to support children to develop their social skills. Adults and children can learn to work together and will enjoy discussing different types of plants and the process they have carried out to plant their seeds. The anticipation of waiting for whose plant will shoot through the soil first will encourage children to interact and engage. Gardening and growing presents wonderful opportunities for children and their parents or carers to bond and help each other look after and nurture their plants.
Sunken Community Garden
Pride of place on our community centre site is the beautiful sunken garden where community members can sit and enjoy the relaxing space, meet in social groups and have fun being together. This garden features a giant bug hotel and a range of plants that are native to coastal areas.
Planting in this area has been specifically chosen to include species that provide a range of sensory experiences for all the community to enjoy. The garden is completely accessible to those that use wheelchairs and lots of thoughts and ideas have been an integral part of the early planning for those that may have a sensory impairment, making the space accessible and enjoyable for all.
We aim to encourage local wildlife creating a safe and secure space with mindful planting for the animals and insects that also like to visit and enjoy the garden.