Edible Playground Feedback May 2025

Edible Playgrounds offer a lively, engaging, multi-sensory way to teach children about growing and eating healthy food. Aside from the physical health benefits that eating well brings, learning in an outdoor environment combats Nature Deficit Disorder and has been shown to increase mental health by boosting mood, confidence and self-esteem. Furthermore, allowing the children to connect with nature develops attentiveness and self-reliance in the pupils, leading to more sustainable behaviours in the long term. (Edible Playgrounds | Trees for Cities)

The Healthy Weights Team have been collaborating with Grow Rhondda and the Healthy and Sustainable Preschool scheme team to support sessions within RCT. This work will influence food growing, encourage use of food grown into classroom cookery sessions and have a positive impact on the children’s wellbeing.

The Rainbow Room Flying Start setting has recently provided their feedback:

Celebrating Our Partnership with Grow Rhondda

We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the wonderful partnership we’ve developed with Grow Rhondda. Working alongside such a passionate and community-focused organisation has brought so many enriching experiences to our nursery, particularly for our two-year-olds.

Through this collaboration, our children have been given invaluable opportunities to connect with nature. From planting seeds and exploring natural resources to learning about the environment, our little learners have been immersed in hands-on experiences that spark curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of the world around them.

One of the highlights of this partnership has been the transformation of the area around our setting. Thanks to David's thoughtful coordination, the overgrowth was cleared back, creating a beautiful forestry area for our children to explore and enjoy. This natural space has already become a favourite for outdoor learning and imaginative play, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

We are thrilled with the positive impact this partnership has had on our setting and on the development of our youngest learners. It has supported their sensory exploration, physical development, and emotional well-being in the most natural and engaging way.

We very much look forward to continuing this partnership with Grow Rhondda, and we’re excited to see what new opportunities and experiences the future holds for our children.

4 Primary Schools and 4 Preschools in the Rhondda Area are to be supported by Grow Rhondda throughout 2025. This work aligns with PIPYN, Treherbert Initiative, Health and Well-being Promoting Schools and Healthy Preschools schemes concerning nutrition, oral health, wellbeing and outdoor play.

Claire, Lead for The Whole Systems Approach to a Healthy Weight at CTM UHB, said:

“Its wonderful to see the Early Years System and Grow Rhondda taking action to make it easier for children growing up in the Rhondda to experiment with new tastes and textures, to engage with the natural environment around them and learn important skills like growing and cooking their own food. This is an important step in creating the healthy environments which will make it easier for children in CTM to grow up to be a healthy weight, as outlined in our upcoming roadmap to healthy weight in CTM.”

Further Reading:

Evidence Base:

The following papers outline the evidence base linked to this intervention: