Grow

• Plant assorted seeds between wet paper towel & place in a ziploc baggie. Place in a sunny spot & they will sprout in a few days.
• Plant a small garden ... use an egg carton, fill each space with potting soil. Help the kids plant a few seeds in each space (carrots, radishes, peppers, corn). Use popsicle sticks to label each space. Water & wrap with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse. The kids get so excited to see their seeds begin to sprout. These can be transferred outside when they get bigger!
• Cut the bottom 1" off a long celery stalk. Place in a clear cup of water dyed with food coloring. The kids can watch the color travel through the celery stalk.
• Make simple plant sequence cards ... Use index cards, on the first draw dirt & a seed. On the second, draw a seed with roots. On the third, draw a seed with roots & a plant beginning to grow. On the last, draw the seed with a full-grown plant or flower. Help the kids put them in the right order.
• Measure your kids on a growth chart to see how much they've grown! I made this wooden ruler when my kids were little. We mark it every year on their birthday and half-birthday. I write the date, their age, and their name.
• Read "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle
• Plant your own instant garden ... Draw rows on a long roll of brown paper to resemble a garden. Cut pictures of plants and flowers from gardening/seed catalogs and glue them on to your garden.
• Grow a Grassy Letter ... Let the kids place a layer of soil in a pie tin. Use a craft stick to write the first letter of his name in the soil. Help him sprinkle grass seed over his letter. Lightly water the grass seed. In a few days, the grass will sprout in the shape of their letter!

snack idea: sunflower seeds