Lilly Pilly (sometimes written as “Lilly Lilly”) — the native Australian plant often mentioned in bush tucker and Indigenous knowledge – is growing in my garden. It is fruiting at the moment and all ground is covered with bright pink berries that are not only beuatiful , but edible as well.
Activity Ideas for Children: Learning with Lilly Pilly
- Bush Tucker Tasting (if appropriate and safe): Taste washed, ripe Lilly Pilly berries or jam. Discuss how First Nations people used this fruit.
- Nature Sketching & Sensory Description: Children observe the leaves, berries, and bark using magnifying glasses and sketch what they see. Use descriptive prompts like smell, texture, and shape.
- Seasonal Charting: Create a wall chart showing when the Lilly Pilly fruits and how it links to seasonal change. Introduce six Indigenous seasons if appropriate. For example, now we are in Wombat season on Bunurong people land.
- Eco Art Collages: Use fallen leaves and berries to make mandalas or collages. Emphasise respectful collecting.
- Storytelling Circle: Sit near a Lilly Pilly tree and invent a story. Include imagined animals or people living in the tree.
- Cooking Together: Prepare jam or syrup and taste with damper. Discuss traditional sharing and community.
I also grow mulberries and use them for painting activities (they have a nice purple pigment)
a plant that is looking like wild strawberry is actually a weed. But it is ok to consume, it is just tasteless
Black currant – a garden plant that is hard to grow in Australia, but you can try
Edible red currant – the berry of my childhood
