Tauranga children have notched an impressive result in the 2025 Daltons Sunflowers in Kindergartens Project, with two Tauranga centres taking top honours in this year’s regional awards.

From tiny seeds planted back in August, children across the country have spent months nurturing their “Skyscraper” sunflowers—an extra‑tall variety known for reaching heights of over four metres. Despite unpredictable weather and plenty of gardening challenges, Tauranga’s young growers rose to the occasion.

Gwen Rogers Kindergarten, part of Inspired Kindergartens, took out the Tauranga Regional Winner for Tallest Sunflower with an impressive 2.52-metre plant.

Teachers and tamariki worked side by side to care for their sunflower through wind, rain, and pests—a hands-on learning journey embedded in maths, science, literacy, and even art.

Daltons general manager Colin Parker said the results reflected the heart of the project.

“We see how something as simple as growing a sunflower can provide so much learning. The pride on their faces when they see how high their sunflower has grown is pretty special.”

Adding to the region’s success, Pāpāmoa Coast Kindergarten secured the Tauranga Regional Award for the Widest Sunflower Head, measuring a bold 20 centimetres.

The sunflower head measurement excludes petals, putting the focus purely on the size of the sunflower face itself—a testament to the children’s consistent care and attention throughout the growing season.

A season of learning, growth, and resilience

The 2025 project involved 11,504 children across 238 kindergartens, all growing the same sunflower variety.

Many centres documented their journey and integrated sunflower learning throughout the curriculum, supported by Daltons’ gardening tips and resources.

Even with storms and tough weather patterns impacting parts of the country, Tauranga’s kindergartens kept their enthusiasm flourishing.

Parker said the project was about more than competition: “We hope this is the start of a lifelong love of gardening… that children will take their new skills home to inspire their families.”