Daltons are hoping to bring smiles to the faces of over 11,694 kindy children around New Zealand with their 2021 Sunflowers in Kindergartens Project launching this week.

The project aims to help grow future generations of gardeners by educating kindergarten children about gardening and providing them with hands-on learning opportunities.

There is a fun, competitive component to the Project whereby the 236 participating kindergartens will compete with other kindergartens in their region to grow the tallest sunflower and widest sunflower heads.
This year 534 children are taking part through 11 kindergartens in Tauranga from Inspired Kindergartens and Home-Based Education.

The project kicks off on Monday, August 16, and runs until Tuesday, December 7, with winners announced Thursday, December 9.

This is the sixth time Daltons has run this popular Project.

"With the announcement of the latest Covid lockdown we remain committed to supporting the kindergartens during this time to grow the best sunflowers they can," says Daltons general manager Colin Parker.

"We hope that once children can return to their kindergarten, that the Project brings a little bit of joy and a smile to their faces as they begin to grow their sunflowers.”

The Project provides a platform for children to learn about gardening practically, developing skills and a basic understanding of plants by sowing seeds, learning about germination, caring for seedlings, planting them out and daily care of their plant.

Teachers can also integrate aspects of the Project into their learning curriculum.

'Last year taught us how much of a sanctuary our gardens can be,” says Colin.

'We hope children will take their newly found gardening skills home and create their own little sanctuaries, whether it is growing veggies with their family or planting colourful flowers to brighten up their backyards."

A free starter pack is sent to each participating kindergarten and includes everything the children need to grow and learn about sunflowers, including a measuring tape, an instruction booklet with growing guides, peat pots, seed raising and potting mix, and the key ingredient, and Skyscraper Sunflowers seeds provided by project partner Kings Seeds.

This spectacular sunflower variety has been grown throughout the Project's history because it can reach up to 4-5 metres high, with stems that can be thicker than your arm.

Their golden petals can measure up to 45 cm across and weigh several kilos.

In 2019, the tallest sunflower ever grown in the project came in at a whopping 3.41 metres and the widest sunflower head measured 35cm across.

Teachers are supported throughout the project with regular newsletters full of sunflower information along with learning sheets, How-to-videos, and fun activities to integrate into the learning curriculum and share with their kindy kids.

Regional winners with the tallest sunflower and the sunflower with the widest head will receive prizes from Daltons, The Warehouse and new Project partner GARDENA, and all participating kindergartens will go into the draw to win a prize pack for their kindergarten.

At the end of the Project, each kindergarten also nominates their very own ‘Daltons Best Little Gardener' who will receive a certificate and prize pack, courtesy of Daltons.

Participation certificates are also available for teachers to download and print off, so every child receives their own special memento.

Eleven kindergarten associations throughout New Zealand are taking part in the Project.

Associations include, Auckland Kindergarten Association, Central Kids Kindergartens (Central North Island), Kidsfirst Kindergartens (Christchurch), Dunedin Kindergartens Incorporated, Inspired Kindergartens and Home-Based Education (Tauranga), Kindergarten Taranaki, Marlborough Kindergarten Association, Nelson Tasman Kindergartens Association, Northland Kindergarten Association, Waikato Kindergarten Association, Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens (Wellington).