Oh the joy of sunny, warm spring days!
It’s not too late to get some seeds started. Flowers, vegetables and even grass can be easy to get growing in the classroom. Growing seeds is such a valuable life skill and a way to get those children who have an affinity for the natural world excited to learn.
Growing seeds can be intimidating when time and resources are scarce, plus the soil can get everywhere! For a no-mess growing activity I recommend bean seeds, paper towel (school paper towel will do) and clear jars or cups. It’s so simple to soak the bean seeds overnight and pop a few in a jar. Squish in some wet paper towel and prop the seeds around the side of the jar. Let the magic begin! Keep the paper towel damp and watch the sprouts get their roots, stem and leaves. I prefer bush beans over pole beans because they can be put in the school garden or taken home to plant without worrying about supporting the plant with a pole.
Perhaps your students do not have access to an inground garden but they could manage a container garden. In this case put a bit of potting soil in a cup or container, add the seeds and cover with the recommended amount of soil. Some easy to grow flowers are marigolds, nasturtiums, sunflowers, and morning glories. Vegetables for small containers include lettuce and radishes but I’m also partial to herbs like basil and thyme in containers.
The wonderful thing about seeds is how easily we can access them! It’s fun to try an experiment using seeds from peppers or squash. How about planting a strawberry or a potato?
Finally, there is an adorable grass head project that has been very successful and so simple! Decorate a plastic cup by drawing a face with permanent marker. Googly eyes make it extra silly. Fill the cup with the soil and sprinkle grass seed on top. Add water and your silly face will have a full head of green hair in no time. Students love to give their grass head a haircut.
We all rely on the plants of the world for their gifts. We can reciprocate this gift by caring and nurturing their seeds to grow another generation of seeds.
My local public library has a seed library where we can sign out seeds in the spring and return a new generation of seeds in the fall. Maybe our schools could start similar projects?
I wish everyone a wonderful growing season ahead!
Brenda
