Once you’ve mastered these, herbs such as basil and mint or vegetables such as tomatoes or lettuce are a fantastic next step. Having your child cook with their own herbs and vegetables is not only highly rewarding and helps them to learn where food comes from but can also be a great way to encourage fussy eaters to try new foods! Now, Mr Bloom is heading out on tour. In this all-new show, the allotment is awaiting the arrival of a very special guest. It will feature the Veggies, Compo the Compostarium machine and of course the Tiddlers (as children are known in the Mr Bloom universe) will be involved with songs and games. Ben Faulks says: “We are all really excited because this is the first time we have appeared in a traditional theatre setting – but the show will still retain its intimacy and heavily involve the audience, especially the Tiddlers.”

Meet the Veggies…WHAT HAPPENS IN MISS MAE’S KITCHEN? by Charlotte Raybon E Eloquent Books New York, New York Yes. I sing Meet The Veggies everyday. There's no avoiding it. It's inevitable. I usually try and sing it in the morning, with a view to getting it out the way, leaving the rest of the day 'Veggie Free'. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't and I end up with a refrain in the late afternoon. Either way, it hasn't driven me over the edge which I think is testimony to the superb composer. He's done a proper good job there!The show evolved from an interactive street theatre piece called The Vegetable Nannies, created by actor Ben Faulks – who plays Mr Bloom. In 2009 Faulks approached the BBC – with three young children of his own, Faulks regularly watched CBeebies and realised his show would work well on television. CBeebies’ Mr Bloom is coming to our theatre with his family of Veggies in a new stage show which is sure to delight the whole family. Raymond the Butternut Squash: he may not be the brightest but he is very thoughtful and has a big heart.

If your little one really loves getting out and about in the garden it can be helpful to buy a set of child-friendly mini-tools that they can hold and use by themselves. Having a little watering can, rake, trowel and spade can really help build your child’s sense of independence as well as their physical movement and fine motor skills.Keep them involved throughout the process and ask lots of questions so that they feel like they’re actively involved. Ask them where they think would be a good spot for their plants and why, how long they think their plants will take to grown and what they might look like. The news that we were going to get 'another go' with The Veggies this year was fantastic. By the end of filming the last year there were lots of excited thoughts floating around about improvements, developments, elaborations that could all be made IF we got a second series. Well as of Monday 4th we'll be implementing those pipe dreams so please, if you want to do 'Sunshine dance' over the weekend to ward off any looming bad weather, we'd much appreciate it. (In fact, if you could keep it up for the next 4 weeks, that'd be even better...) The Wee MacGregors: the Radishes, a law unto themselves – cheeky, mischievous, observant and attentive. Tip into a bowl and mash together with the cooked potato. Season with salt and pepper. Leave this to cool. Mr Bloom’s Nursery does what many parents might have thought impossible – gets children excited about vegetables! Set in the allotment of the lovable gardener, and featuring a supporting cast of animated veggies, the award-winning CBeebies series has been teaching children about vegetables and where they come from, as well as wider lessons on nurture and growth.

Fannie rolls her eyes with a big sigh. “Will you give a doll a break? I said Miss Mae is out of the house. Now you Veggies get down here. There are some little folks waiting to meet you.”The Veggies slide a little ways down the side of the cupboard and jump onto the table. Theylook around the kitchen and start mumbling. “Yep, it really looks like Miss Mae has gone out,” says Corn on the Cob. “Come on,” says Nanny. “The children are waiting and we don’t have all day.”The Veggies come to the center of the table. They start mumbling again, pushing andshoving each other. Broccoli asks, “Why don’t you go first Onion?” “No, you go first Potato.” “No, you go Mushroom.” “No, you go String Bean.” “No, you go Red Pepper.” “I will not,” cries Red Pepper. “That will be enough,” yells Fannie with her hands on her hips and tapping her foot. She points. “Come here, String Bean, and introduce yourself. You know better.” Faulks admits he isn’t a keen gardener himself, although he loves the outdoors. He’s not sure where the inspiration for the character of Mr Bloom came from: “He was always going to be a happy Northern gardener but I haven’t based him on anyone.” Margaret the Cabbage: sensitive with a zest for adventure and is fascinated by space, and especially the moon. Once hot, fry the samosas a few at a time for around 10 minutes, or util golden. Drain on the kitchen paper and repeat until all the samosas are cooked. Encourage them to hold these creatures gently and carefully so that they can see what minibeasts look like

Ask an adult to help with this stage as deep frying can be dangerous. Heat vegetable oil to 180 degrees in a large deep saucepan. Line a plate with lots of kitchen paper.

Your toddler may become completely engrossed in gardening with you, however be prepared for the fact that they may have a limited attention span and won't be absorbed for more than a few minutes at a time. It’s a good idea to keep things simple and have other activities up your sleeve to extend your child's interest.If I could be a vegetable I would want to be Spinach. It's fab word, the leaves look super comfortable and it's not buried down deep down in the ground, (wouldn't like that). That said, when playing this game with others I have been told that I'm much more like root ginger!?! Not sure what that says about me, but there you go.