Event Concept: An interactive, hands-on workshop where children learn the core principles of permaculture by helping to create a small, productive garden space within the community. The focus is on fun, discovery, and connecting with nature.

Target Audience: Children aged 5-12 (with parental supervision or participation encouraged for younger ones).

Key Objectives:

• To teach children where food comes from.

• To introduce concepts of ecosystems, recycling, and working with nature.

• To foster a sense of responsibility and pride in creating something.

• To encourage healthy eating habits.

Event Activities & Flow:

1. The Circle of Life Welcome (15 mins):

   • Children gather in a circle on mats.

   • The facilitator starts with a short, interactive story about a seed’s journey to becoming a plant.

   • Introduction to the three core permaculture rules: “Care for the Earth,” “Care for People,” and “Fair Share.”

2. “Bug Hotel” Building Station (30 mins):

   • Kids use natural and recycled materials (pinecones, bamboo canes, hollow reeds, wooden pallets, terracotta pots) to build small “hotels” for beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings.

   • Learning Point: This teaches how every creature has a role in the garden (pest control, pollination) and the value of recycling.

3. Create a “Pizza Garden” Bed (45 mins):

   • The main activity! Children help prepare a raised bed or a designated garden plot.

   • They learn about companion planting by arranging plants that grow well together and are used on a pizza: tomatoes (the “sauce”), basil and oregano (the “herbs”), onions, and bell peppers (“the toppings”).

   • Learning Point: Hands-on experience with planting, soil health, and plant relationships.

4. Seed Bomb Craft (30 mins):

   • A messy and fun activity where kids mix clay, compost, and wildflower seeds to create their own seed bombs.

   • They can take these home to throw in a bare spot in their yard or a designated community area (with permission!) to “guerrilla garden” and support pollinators.

   • Learning Point: A creative way to learn about seed dispersal and helping bees and butterflies.

5. Tasting & Celebration (15 mins):

   • A healthy snack is provided, featuring foods that can be grown in a garden (e.g., carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, snap peas).

   • Each child receives a “Junior Permaculturist” certificate.

Materials Needed:

• Child-sized gardening gloves and trowels

• Soil, compost, seeds (tomato, basil, oregano, etc.), and seedlings

• Recycled materials for bug hotels (pallets, pinecones, bamboo)

• Clay, compost, wildflower seeds for seed bombs

• Watering cans, buckets

• Mats for seating, hand-washing station