In one of our classrooms the children included in their spring time activities planting and learning about how seeds grow. Each child had the opportunity to feel the rich soil in their hands and pick out several sunflower seeds to plant. The children discussed how the seeds need the nutrients in the soil, water to drink and sun light to grow. They also learned about how the roots grow down to hold the plant firmly in the ground and to bring the water up to the plant. As some of the seeds started to sprout they were able to see the tiny green stem poke out of the soil and reach for the sun. Each day spray bottles were used to water the seeds. As always some seeds grow faster than others and soon they will go home and hopefully will be planted so they can continue to grow into healthy sunflowers.
One of the books the children heard was, The Sunflower House by Eve Bunting. In the story a family grows sunflowers in a large circle in order to create a sunflower house. Once the flowers grow tall summer fun is had by the neighborhood children in their magical outdoor home grown for fun and adventure. As the the summer comes to an end the sunflowers begin to die but the children learn how to take the seeds from the center of the flowers to save for the next spring.
Out on the play yard colorful artifical flowers along with shovels, hoes, racks, watering cans and wheel barrows were used to provide for dramatic play. The children planted their "flowers" all over the yard, watered them and were very proud of there beautiful gardens.
Spring is also a time of baby chicks, ducks and bunnies. Funny ducks and chicks were made by cutting, gluing and drawing. Bunnies were decorated with colored cottonballs and wiggly eyes. Finger painting handprint flowers were placed on top of the stems and leaves the children glued together. A special little chick was created by gluing a large yellow pom-pom in a broken egg shell and adding wiggly eyes.
Make your yard an outdoor family learning environment
by planting a flower garden, a vegetable garden or an herb garden. Don't forget to get dirty and have fun spraying each other with the hose.
Enjoy and Happy Spring!
