The seeds of a planting revolution will be popping up at Pick n Pay stores today, when growing food gets Reel for kids with the launch of Groweez – a do-it-yourself solution for growing herbs and vegetables that teaches children about food security.

A partnership between the Pick n Pay School Club, Reel Gardening and Knorr has already delivered Grow Pods, seeds, nutrient packs and educational material to 2 300 schools around the country, helping teachers to bring the pages of the school curriculum to life for learners in a fun, hands-on exercise.

This fits perfectly with the Pick n Pay School Club’s aim to help educators achieve their classroom objectives by providing meaningful educational content, focusing on a healthy body, a healthy world and a healthy imagination.

By caring for their own herbs and vegetables, from seed to germination, and right through to harvesting, children learn the value of food and the basics of food security, while some schools that received the Grow Pods will be using their vegetable crops to feed learners.

Now, the same growing experience will be available in 372 Pick n Pay Family and Corporate stores nationwide, offering a no-mess, no-fuss way to teach kids how vegetables and herbs are grown. 

Groweez include everything children need to grow their own herbs and veggies. Each Groweez box contains a soil disc and a Reel Gardening seed sachet. Simply wet the soil, fill up the Groweez box and plant the seed sachet. 

Place your Groweez on a sunny windowsill, water every day and, voilà, your plants will grow in their boxes! 

Soon, children will see the roots of their Groweez peeking through the bottom of the box. The Groweez are now ready to be planted in the soil outside and, with a little TLC, kids can watch their home-grown veggies and herbs flourish until they are ready for harvesting. 

Kids can also download The Planting Revolution mobile application to teach them everything they need to know about growing with Reel Gardening through a series of short, animated videos. The app will tailor its reminders and information to suit specific vegetables and herbs. It will even remind kids when to water!

There are 6 Groweez characters to collect. Get them all and inspire your kids to learn about nature, growing and where their food comes from. Once your kids have experienced the joy of growing, they will want to expand their garden. 

“The sheer joy of planting their own food really shone through when the kids from schools in the Pick n Pay School Club received their free Grow Pods,” says Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, Director of Transformation at Pick n Pay.


“In this age of digital immersion, kids often don’t have the time or opportunity to spend time in nature. Groweez allows families to spend time together and teaches kids experientially how to grow their own food,” said Ackerman-Berman. 

Claire Reid, founder and CEO of Reel Gardening, says she is constantly inspired by the joy and wonder she sees on the faces of children who are experiencing the miracle of growing for the first time. 

“So many of us have lost touch with where our food comes from, how long it takes to grow and the experience of connecting with the earth. By simply going through the process of growing food from seed, we can start to reconnect with the simple things, learn patience and appreciate our food. Groweez are the perfect way to get started on this journey,” says Reid.