How do plants heal themselves?

​It was a bright sunny day when our energetic 3 year olds (Calves class) decided to go for a pattern hunt around our Kannuru school campus. As children spotted different patterns on the school wall, ceiling, railings etc, some of the kids tried searching for patterns in plants, they bent down on the little saplings that were planted around the school to see if they could find any pattern on the leaves.

A child who was fascinated about the veins on the leaf exclaimed, “Ma’am look it’s a pattern!”, and accidentally pulled it off.

A moment of shock envelopes as all the kids gasped and the child who pulled the leaf looked at the facilitator helplessly.

All children huddled around the plant to see what really happened. Just then children started talking about what they think the plant is feeling now that a leaf has been ripped off.

​Sh: The plant is not feeling nice now
Ay: It’s crying and it’s hurt

​I (pointing out to a bruise on his nose): I think it’s painful, just like this 

Sa was trying to place the leaf back on the plant with the intention to fix it.
Just then, “I think we need some glue”, said Ar and ran in to get.

Children waited there patiently as he got one, they all sat together and applied glue on the leaf and tried fixing, but it wouldn’t stay, it kept slipping. They were not done yet.

“Maybe we should try a tape on it”, exclaimed Ay and ran to get it.
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It took a couple of minutes for children to work together in fixing the leaf back on the plant with the tape. Finally they managed to fix it together.

​Facilitator – I wonder if this is really going to help the plan heal?
V: Yes ma’am it will, it’s like putting bandage when we get hurt

​Facilitator – Okay, then how long do you think it will take to heal?

Children started giving out different numbers like, “4 days”, “No 5”, “15 days ma’am”……….
Then we went back to check the plant the next morning, sadly they found that the broken part of the leaf was blown away by the wind, leaving the plant unfixed.

This led us to get back to class and learn with a sad heart but new learning, wonder and discussions about how plants heal themselves from injuries.

Since then every time we step out on the campus, children remind each other to be careful with the plants and not to touch them in a way that might harm them.

How wonderful would life be if we all learn to be kind to all living and non- living things around us, respect and believe that they have feelings too, learn to live and let live and be empathetic individuals.
Yes, that’s they path our children are travelling upon.

Contributed by Grace Veronica, Facilitator, Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool