AN exciting new multi-sensory garden has opened at Harting Village Pre-School just in time for its open day.
Families looking for childcare are invited along to the event on Thursday, June 30, from 10am to noon.
The creation of the new garden has been a community effort involving the trustees of the village hall, Harting Parish Council, Harting Festivities, staff, parents and children.
The youngsters, who are aged two to five, were asked what features they wanted in the garden and these were incorporated. They included a mud kitchen, complete with 200-year-old Butler sink donated by a member of staff and stepping stones with ‘jewels’ embedded in them.
Other sensory additions include colourful weaving between canes, planters with a wide range of flowers, and child-sized wooden table and stools, donated by the pre-school’s previous leader Trudy Chapman.
A smart bespoke fence was put up by Adam Dalton of Haslemere Fencing, and Luke Heaps, of Luke Heaps Carpentry, made the mud kitchen, pagoda, decking, planters and steps.
Joint leaders Katie Hughes and Jackie Upfold worked tirelessly over many weekends to develop this resource for the pre-school.
Committee chairman Kate Grocott said: “This multi-sensory garden has been such fun to develop and has involved so many people; we are enormously grateful to the community of Harting for their tremendous support. The children loved being included in the planning and development and are thoroughly enjoying playing in their new garden.”
Contact the pre-school on 07880 603506.