Late Spring ~ Time to Plant something Beautiful or Tastey

One Day, late this spring ( I say late because we still had snow in May!),we all went as a family Garden Shopping; looking for seeds to plant flowers, veggies, and herbs. And for Soil, & pots, that sort of thing. H Man decided he wanted to pick out some seeds too and grow his Garden like Elmo ( Sesame Street) does in his Book. And that is just what we did:o)

It was amazing for us (as parents) to see how excited H Man was about planting and growing and how the whole process works. Toddlers are so curious, and just Thirsting for information and New Experiences. It's hard to keep up :o)

H Man's Garden did grow quite Green, he did a Great job tending his Garden. He did such a Great job tending the Garden, We think that is why it did NOT make it past the Sprout Stage, heee heeee! He liked to Water and Weed.... what can we say :o)

We did Plant some Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Jalapenos, Pumpkins ( small and Jack-o-lanterns), Mint, Lettuce, and SunFlowers, which survived. And Our Little Man has been quite the helper with it all ~ Kids love to eat what they Grow ~ one thing we learned this year for sure! It was also a VERY fun family activity to share throughout the spring, summer and now fall months!

The C Family encourages you to Garden too, if you haven't tried it already, or have one of your own! Happy Gardening ~ and if you have any Awesome gardening Tips, we are always up for some of those!!

Late Spring Garden Craft:

Creating crafts for the garden is another way to support the gardening experience. Try creating plant markers or garden signs. Decorate wooden craft sticks with designs or by writing the plants name.

You will need:

* Larger wooden craft sticks
* Paint or markers (to decorate signs/markers)

Children will learn:

* To identify their plant
* Use written print to label seed/plant
* Use art with gardening

Theme gardens personalize the gardening experience and use children’s interests. Some theme ideas are a Butterfly Garden (plants that attract butterflies), a Rainbow of Color Garden, an Alphabet Garden (A-Z plants), and a Snack Garden. Choose plants that will support the theme, such as carrots for a Snack Garden. There are many books that offer ideas for theme gardens.

Garden Activity
Even in the cold, dreary months, we can still garden indoors! It is such a wonderful feeling to bring gardening indoors in the winter and fall. It gives us a connection with the outdoors, even though we are inside. The following are simple indoor gardening ideas to explore with young children.

Start a Bean-- Starting a bean seed to sprout roots can be very exciting!

You will need:

• Bean seeds (any kind)
  
• Clear container (plastic cups or zip-lock style bags)
  
• Paper towels
  
• Spray bottle of water
  

Place seeds on paper towels and put in plastic cups or plastic bags (have seeds placed so children can see them) and place by a window. Moisten with water; no dirt needed! Mist daily with water, but do not over mist or you may get mold. Watch the roots take off!

Children will learn: Science and nature by discovering about root systems and what they do Fine motor by drawing roots and their wiggly, curvy lines Math by counting the seeds Responsibility by caring for their seed

( Information Gathered for this Blog was found at this Web Site: http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/AngelUnits/OneHour/Garden/GardenLessonA.html)