Fungi Fun: Creativity, Curiosity, and a Whole Lot of Mushrooms
What a busy (and brilliant) morning we had at the Eco Centre during the April holidays – turns out we’re not the only fans of fungi! 🍄
We collaborated with James and Kylie from Spore and Stem Shroomery a new local business selling edible mushrooms grown in their garage.
We were completely blown away by the creativity of the kids. Armed with egg cartons, other craft resources and a simple starter idea, they took things in directions we never could have planned. It was a great reminder not to over-prescribe craft play – when given the freedom, kids create in ways that are inventive, unexpected, and totally their own.
Their inspiration came from everywhere: our education corner, fairytales, conversations with our mushroom farmer, what they’ve spotted out in nature, and their own wonderfully wild imaginations. The result? A table full of unique, quirky, and downright magical fungal creations.
There was also huge interest in the mushroom farming side of things, with James and Kylie sharing their knowledge and sparking curiosity about how fungi grow and how they cultivate them.
Top tips from the day:
- Keen to try some delicious edible mushrooms? Get in touch with Spore and Stem Shroomery directly
- Love taking photos or identifying fungi? Add your finds to iNaturalist and become a citizen scientist
- Come along to our events… then you don’t have to spend 45 minutes cleaning up the creative chaos 😄
A huge thank you to Spore and Stem Shroomery for collaborating with us (we’ve already warned James we’ll be chasing him for an Eco Talk next year!), and to Briony, Corrie, and our enthusiastic “child labour” crew for helping set up and pack down. It was a true team effort.
Safe to say – this is a topic we’ll definitely be bringing back. In the meantime… what fungi have you spotted this autumn? Share a photo with us – we’d love to see what’s popping up near you 🍄
You can find Spore and Stem Shroomery on Facebook or email sporeandstem@gmail.com for orders.
