Press release
First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery at Bloom to promote children’s outdoor play
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, today unveiled the theme of the show garden sponsored by his department at Bord Bia Bloom this June Bank Holiday Weekend in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.
The ‘First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery’ will be a place where young children, their parents, families and carers have an open-ended invitation to play in the natural world enticing children through the garden and down pathways of wonder and discovery.
The garden will also provide an example of good practice in the design of external spaces that support children’s learning, well-being and development.
Previous Bloom award-winning garden designers, Oliver and Liat Schurmann of Mount Venus Nursery, Rathfarnham, Dublin worked on the design with 20 ‘garden consultant’ children from Creative Kids & Co Pre-School in Walkinstown.
The result of this collaboration - the children’s creativity and the Schurmanns’ passion for and expertise in designing show gardens - is the ‘First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery’, which evokes the magical atmosphere of a natural and untouched woodland.
Speaking about the ‘First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery’, Minister Roderic O’Gorman said:
“I am delighted that my department is sponsoring this garden to raise awareness of the importance of play for children’s learning, well-being and development and more broadly First 5: the ten-year-whole-of-government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families.
“We know that children benefit from adventurous outdoor play in the natural world. Play that involves an element of risk and discovery builds young bodies and minds. Climbing, jumping, playing with sticks and natural materials and getting dirty in early childhood are essential for healthy development.”
Visit the ‘First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery’ at Bord Bia Bloom from 1 to 5 June to learn about the benefits of outdoor play and how the First 5 strategy is impacting the lives of babies, young children and their families.
Department staff will also be in the ‘Budding Bloomers’ area at Bloom to update parents on the range of early learning and childcare schemes available to help them, including the National Childcare Scheme (NCS).
The First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery is funded through Dormant Accounts Funding.
First 5 is the whole-of-government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families. This ten-year plan aims to ensure all children in Ireland have positive early experiences and get a great start in life. For more see: www.first5.gov.ie.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to thousands of families to help with the cost of early learning and childcare. There are two types of subsidies available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age:
The subsidy can be used with any participating Tusla registered early learning and childcare service, including any Tusla registered childminder and school age childcare services.
Further information on the Scheme, including how to apply, may be found on ncs.gov.ie.