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Growing with Care: Little Olive Tree Rochor at the Community Garden
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
On April 30, the Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 children, from Little Olive Tree Rochor, went to a Community Garden to see different types of plants that were grown there.
There, they met Mr Kwang, the Head Garden, together with his team of volunteers. The K1 children started their session by planting a variety of seeds. The children were guided by Mr Kwang and the volunteers how to plant the seeds and the care that was required for the seeds to grow. The children were filled with amazement when they realised that with love and care, a little seed could grow into a seedling and then a plant.
The K2 children started with walking around the Community Garden. The children were filled with awe as they saw many different types of plants. They saw leaves of all sorts of shapes, sizes and shades of green. One of the planters even had fish inside and water plants floating on top. As they wandered around the Community Garden, some of the children noticed that there were patterns in the garden, which they pointed out to their friends. They were amazed by the wide variety of plants that was being grown.
One child noted that “the leaves of the plants looked healthy” and when prompted to ponder why it looked healthy, his friend said “I think they were grown with Care”.
We had a short discussion about what the garden would look like if Mr Kwang and the volunteers didn’t display Care for the plants.
“There would be insects everywhere!!”, “the leaves would not be green!” and “I don’t think any plants will grow without care” were all inputs from the children.
It was made known to the children that because Mr Kwang and his volunteers displayed being Responsible for the community garden, they could grow a large variety of different types of plants.
They saw with a new perspective the assortment of herbs and spices such as basil, curry leaves as well as mulberry plants and Chinese spices, pandan leaves, lady’s finger, lemon basil, Indian borage, amongst other plants, all grown with Care and Responsibility.
What amazed the children the most was that the plants were able to grow so well in the hot sun. The children were asked to imagine themselves as the plant and how they would feel to be planted outdoors in direct sun and without shelter.
As the children shared their thoughts and as they listened to others, they shared their same sentiments of it being difficult. “I wouldn’t want to be outdoors, it’s so hot”, “If I can’t carry an umbrella when it rains, I would be so cold” and “They have to be in the sun one moment and rain the next”.
This was a teachable moment of one of our 5Gs, Grit, where they have the resilience to overcome challenging situations and difficulties.
One child pointed out how the mulberry fruits were so small when they were young and his friend pointed out that they still need to grow. When asked whether they think the plant’s growth would be easy, children pondered before saying that there are many insects in the garden so some might not like it.
Another child pointed out butterflies, to which her friend said “butterflies are friends to flowers because they carry pollen around”.
It was amazing that a trip to the Community Garden brought about rich learning points and embodied our Core Values and Positive Dispositions in our children.
At Little Olive Tree Rochor, experiences like these remind us that Creation Care is not simply about plants. it is about learning to notice, care, and grow. As children observe how gardens flourish through patience, responsibility, and perseverance, they begin to understand that these same qualities help people grow too. Through moments of wonder, thoughtful conversations, and hands-on discovery, children are learning to become both gardeners of the Earth and gardeners of the heart.
We warmly invite families and the wider community to journey with us at our Creation Care Public Showcase at Jurong East Perennial Business City, where our children’s learning, discoveries, and reflections will come to life. Come and see how little hands are learning to care for God’s world. One seed, one story, and one act of kindness at a time. 🌱
