Gardening

Books

Ages 0- 3

  • The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

    • Ages 4- 8

  • Anno’s Magic Seeds by Mitsumasa Anno
  • Jack and the Beanstalk by Jack Faulkner
  • Planting a Rainbow by Lois Elhert
  • The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller
  • The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

    • Activities

    Gardening (A TRC volunteer 's suggestion)

    Materials: Ziploc bag, water, paper towel, bean seeds.

  • Wet a paper and squeeze out the excess water.
  • Fold it and place it in a Ziploc bag along with a bean seed.
  • Make sure to keep the bag closed and put it where the sun can reach it.
  • Keep your paper towel damp and watch your bean sprout over the next few days and weeks.

    • Finger Game (From The Flowers in My Garden by Lois Peters, RSGN May 2002)

  • I’ll plant my flower seeds very carefully in a row. Fold fingers into palm.
  • And pretty soon the little flowers will start to grow. Slowly raise fingers.
  • They have blossomed into colors- pink, yellow, and blue. Wiggle fingers.
  • I’ll snip them off. Snip at left-hand fingers.
  • Make a bouquet. Pretend holding a bouquet.
  • And give them to you! Hold out to someone.

    • Vase of Flowers (PBA )

    Materials: scissors, cardboard egg carton, paint, markers, or crayons, green pipe cleaners, construction paper, glue, paper cup.

  • Cut apart the egg carton sections and paint or color them to look like blossoms.
  • Poke a pipe cleaner through the center of each blossom to make a stem.
  • Cut leaves from green paper and glue them to the pipe cleaners.
  • Cover a cup with construction paper or color it with markers.
  • Arrange the flowers in your vase.

    • Eruption of Colors (From How to Get Your Child to Love Reading)

    Materials: Cake pan with edges or custard cup, milk, food coloring, liquid dishwashing detergent.

  • Pour milk into pan or cup until bottom is covered.
  • Sprinkle several drops of coloring on milk.
  • Add a few drops of detergent in centers of largest drops of coloring.
  • Watch resulting eruption and celebrate the emergence of spring colors.

    • Antennae Headbands (From How to Get Your Child to Love Reading)

    Materials: posterboard, scissors, tape, pipe cleaners, small Styrofoam balls, stickers, markers.

  • Cut a crown shape out of the posterboard and decorate one side with stickers and markers.
  • Stick the balls on one end of the pipe cleaners. Tape two pipecleaners to the inside, non-decorated part of the crown.
  • Tape the ends of the posterboard crown together to fit the child’s head.

    • Cocoon Wrap (From How to Get Your Child to Love Reading)

    Materials: toilet paper rolls, timer, one pre-prepared set of posterboard wings with large rubber bands taped on for arm holes.

  • Divide the children into groups of 3. 2 children can wrap the 3rd child, or the chrysalis.
  • Set a timer and see which group can wrap the chrysalis most completely in three minutes and then who can emerge from wrappings the fastest.
  • Award the winner a set of wings, but give each kid a chance to see what it feels like to be a “butterfly.”

    • Snacks

    Dirt (From Book Cooks)

    Materials per 6 kids: ziplock bag, measuring cup, quart jar, 6 cups, 6 spoons

  • Gather ingredients per 6 kids: 1 pkg. (6 oz.) instant chocolate pudding, 3 c. cold milk, 6 whole graham crackers, M&Ms, sunflower seeds, 6 gummy worms
  • Crush crackers in ziplock bag.
  • Put chocolate pudding and milk in a jar then shakes for 2 min and pour into cups.
  • Stir in crushed crackers, then add gummy worms, M&Ms, seeds, etc.

    • Garden Snake Refrigerator Cookies (From http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/snakecrafts/a/blsnakerec1.htm)

  • Ingredients: 1/2 c peanut butter, 1/2 c powdered milk, 1/2 c honey, 1 tbsp cocoa, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 chopped nuts, 1/2 raisins, mini M&Ms, bowl, mixing spoon, cookie sheet, wax paper.
  • Combine peanut butter and milk until well mixed.
  • Stir in order: honey, cocoa, vanilla, nuts, and raisins.
  • Roll mix into small snake shapes.
  • Add M&Ms for eyes, attaching them with peanut butter.
  • Place snakes on wax paper covered cookie sheets. Chill in refrigerator until firm.

    • Ants on a Log (From http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/creativesnacks/a/blantlogsn1.htm)

  • Ingredients: Celery stick, peanut butter, raisins.
  • Fill the center of the celery stick with peanut butter.
  • Place a few raisins on top to be your ants.

    • Mud Balls (PBA)

  • Ingredients: 1 c peanut butter, 1/4 c honey, 1/2 c dry powdered milk, 1/2 c raisins or chocolate chips, 1 c crushed graham crackers, chocolate milk powder, mixing bowl, large spoon, and plates.
  • Mix the peanut butter, honey, milk, and raisins/ chocolate in a bowl.
  • Add crackers and roll the mixture into balls.
  • Coat balls by rolling them in a plate of chocolate milk powder.

    • Ladybug Apples (From http://appetizer.allrecipes.com/az/29926.asp)

  • Ingredients for 4: 2 red apples, 1/4c raisins, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 8 thin pretzel sticks, paper plates, knives.
  • Slice apples in half from top to bottom and scoop out the cores. Place each apple half flat side down on a small plate.
  • Dab peanut butter on the back of the “ladybug” and stick on raisins for spots. Use this method to make eyes too.
  • Stick one end of a pretzel stick into a raisin and press the other end into the apple to make antennae.