Despite battling Covid lockdowns and restrictions, joy and smiles have been apparent on the faces of children in 236 kindergartens nationwide thanks to sunflowers grown in the Daltons Sunflowers in Kindergartens Project.

Over the past four months, 11,694 kindy children have begun their journey as the next generation of gardeners, learning about gardening through competing to grow the tallest sunflower and widest sunflower head in their region.

In Tauranga, 534 children from Inspired Kindergartens were involved in the project.

The project launched in August, the day before the nationwide Covid lockdown was announced which meant some regions have spent the vast majority or the entire duration of the project in lockdown.

Teachers had to adapt and get creative and have gone above and beyond to keep sunflowers alive and children engaged in the Project. Today we can proudly reveal all the winners.

Tai O Fenua Kindergarten, with their sunflower plant measuring in at 175cm.

Tallest Sunflower: Tai O Fenua Kindergarten in Tauranga.

'The children love taking part of the growing of the sunflower. From the planting, nurturing, and watching them grow. Awesome teamwork from the children, kaiako and the whanau,” says teacher Anelenga Evans.

The winner of the Widest Sunflower Head was won by Whangamata Kindergarten with a diameter of 20cm.

"At Whangamata kindergarten we believe that tamariki who experience being in nature, playing and learning alongside their peers and with the guidance of interested adults will become nature literate," says teacher Michelle Flower.

"This is the first time our team has entered, and we have been learning together, kaiako and tamariki, collaborating every step of the way.

"Where do we plant these seedlings to protect them? What does organic pest control look like? Is our compost rich enough?

"We have seen these sunflowers grow through their plant life cycle, through a lock down with special care and attention and protected them through some extreme weather cycles."

In one weekend, Michelle says they noticed the flowers grew 4cm.

"We are in awe! We have been measuring to see if we have the tallest sunflower, or perhaps the sunflower with the widest face! Our tallest sunflowers are 160cm and the width of their face, or their bloom face (not including their petals) are 24 cm.

"We really appreciate how Daltons partner with Kindergarten Associations across New Zealand to empower a new generation of gardners to reconnect with Papatūānuku."

Best photo: Jed, three, and Brooke, three, from Birchwood Kindergarten.

The goal of the biennial project is to create a platform for children to learn about gardening in a practical way.

They develop skills and a basic understanding of plants, through sowing seeds and growing seedlings, planting them out and daily care of their plants. Teachers also integrated aspects of the project into their learning curriculum.

Teachers found the many project work sheets and activities a vital resource when children were in lockdown and learning from home.

Some regional restrictions also forced children to grow from home and in recognition of this a special award category was created, the Tallest Homegrown Sunflower, which was open nationally to participating kindergarten children who grew sunflowers at home.

'A massive congratulations to all of our 2021 winners! We want to thank our project partners and the 11 participating kindergarten associations," says Daltons general manager, Colin Parker.

"A big thank you to all the teachers who got behind the Project, despite the many challenges they faced pretty much from day one!

"We have been blown away at how they adapted, with some teachers making up individual packs for children to grow plants at home or taking seedlings to their own homes and caring for them until they were able to get back into their kindergartens.

"Through all of this they have kept children engaged and supported them to develop a love of gardening, which is what the project is all about!"

Winners have been selected from each of the eleven regions (Auckland, Nelson Tasman, Marlborough, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Taranaki, Tauranga, Waikato, Central Kindergartens and Northland) to reflect the diverse growing conditions throughout the country. The children grew King Seeds ‘Skyscraper' sunflowers – which can grow over 4 metres tall.

All the regional winners will receive a prize from Daltons, The Warehouse and new project partner GARDENA for the Tallest Sunflower and Widest Sunflower head. All participating kindergartens were entered into a nationwide draw and a Best Photo Award to win prize packs for their kindergarten.

NATIONAL PRIZE WINNERS:

Tallest Homegrown Sunflower - Tilly Hellström, 4yrs, from Witherlea Kindergarten, Marlborough Kindergarten Association, 240cm

Overall best photo - Birchwood Kindergarten, Nelson Tasman Kindergartens Association with their photo of Jed and Brooke, both 3yrs

National Prize Draw - Koru Kindergarten in Stratford

OFFICIAL REGIONAL WINNERS:
Daltons Tallest Sunflower Plant Winners:

Auckland Regional Winner: Oratia Kindergarten, 274cm – (first time winner!)

Central North Island Regional Winner: Central Kids Otorohanga Kindergarten, 248cm – (2^nd time winner & also won Widest Sunflower Head)

Christchurch Regional Winner: Kidsfirst Kindergartens Cromwell, 209cm – (1^st time winner)

Dunedin Regional Winner: Bayfield Kindergarten, 160cm - (also won Widest Sunflower Head)

Marlborough Regional Winner: Springlands Kindergarten, 182cm – (1st time winner)

Nelson Tasman Regional Winner: Grove Street Kindergarten, 247cm – (6^th time winner)

Northland Regional Winner: Waitangi Kindergarten, 132cm – (1^st time winner & also won Widest Sunflower Head)

Taranaki Regional Winner: Devon Kindergarten, 177cm – (4^th time winner)

Tauranga Regional Winner: Tai O Fenua Kindergarten, 175cm – (1^st time winner)

Waikato Regional Winner: Frankton Kindergarten, 249cm – (2^nd time winner & also won Widest Sunflower Head)

Wellington Regional Winner: Marie McFarland Kindergarten, 141cm – (2^nd time winner)

Daltons Widest Sunflower Head Winners (measurement is of the face only – not including petals):

Auckland Regional Winner: Kauri Park Kindergarten, 20cm – (3^rd time winner)

Central North Island Regional Winner: Central Kids Otorohanga, 22cm – (also won Tallest Sunflower Plant)

Christchurch Regional Winner: Kidsfirst Kindergartens Parklands, 17cm – (1^st time winner)

Dunedin Regional Winner: Bayfield Kindergarten, 8cm - (1^st time winner)

Marlborough Regional Winner: Witherlea Kindergarten, 7cm - (previously fourth time winner of Tallest Sunflower Plant)

Nelson Tasman Regional Winner: Laura Ingram Kindergarten, 26cm - (1^st time winner)

Northland Regional Winner: Waitangi Kindergarten, 7.5cm - (1^st time winner & also won Widest Sunflower Head)

Taranaki Regional Winner: Marfell Kindergarten, 8cm - (1^st time winner)

Tauranga Regional Winner: Whangamata Kindergarten, 20cm - (1^st time winner)

Waikato Regional Winner: Frankton Kindergarten, 25cm - (2^nd time winner & also won Tallest Sunflower Plant