Crafts/Activities

1. Egg Carton Mini Garden Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Moisten soil with water so it is wet enough to hold together but not dripping wet.
  2. Spoon soil into the egg carton pockets, 2/3 full.
  3. Plant a seed in each pocket and cover with a little bit of soil. NOTE: some seeds need to be close to the soil surface, while others need to be deeper. It's probably easiest to have assorted seeds that require similar depths.
  4. Close the carton's lid for transport home and keep closed until seeds germinate.
  5. Keep the soil moist. When the seedlings are ready to be transplanted, separate the egg carton pockets and plant directly into the ground; the paper carton will decompose.

Suggested Reading: Jack's Garden by Henry Cole and Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert


2. Mini Terrarium Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Moisten soil with water.
  2. Cut off the bottom 1/3 of the water bottle.
  3. Fill the bottom of the bottle with moist potting soil, no higher than thumb width from the cut edge of the bottle.
  4. Plant the seed and cover with a bit of soil.
  5. Fit the top of the plastic bottle back on, sliding one end slightly inside the other. (Cutting a very small slit on the top section will allow it to more easily fit inside the other half.) Secure top to bottom with duct tape.
  6. Place bottle near a window and watch the plant grow. If too much moisture condenses inside the bottle, open the cap. If it needs moisture, open the cap and water with a spray bottle. If the plant gets too big for the bottle, transplant it to the garden (or pot or bigger bottle).

Suggested Reading: Non-fiction: From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons and I'm a Seed by Jean Marzollo. Fiction: The Little Red Hen (Paul Galdone has a good version) and Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington


3. Plant a Bean and Garden Marker Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Moisten soil with water.
  2. Spoon soil into the cup, about 2/3 full.
  3. Plant the seed, cover with a bit of soil, and lightly press the soil down.
  4. Personalize and decorate garden marker.
  5. Attach a popsicle stick to garden marker (with glue or by cutting two slits about a ? inch apart and "threading" one end of the stick through the slits)
  6. Stick the garden marker into the cup, along the edge but not on the seed.
  7. Watch plant grow and transplant outside when ready.

Variation: Plant grass seed and draw a face on construction paper to wrap around the outside of the cup. When the grass grows, it will look like hair.

Suggested Reading: Jasper's Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen and The Great Big Enormous Turnip by Alexei Tolstoy


4. Seed Tape Bookmark Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Cut a piece of construction paper into a rectangle 3" x 5". Fold piece in half lengthwise, so the piece of construction paper measures 1.5" x 5".
  2. Write child's name on the outside of the construction paper.
  3. Cut seed tape into a strip 4 inches long and no wider than 1 inch.
  4. Place glue on the inside of the piece of folded construction paper, around the edges only, if possible.
  5. Place the strip of seed tape inside, on one side of the fold and away from the outer edges of the construction paper, and press the other side together, making sure the edges stick.
  6. Hole punch one end of bookmark and thread ribbon or yarn through it, tying a knot to make a tassel. Child can use the bookmark and then plant it if they wish.

Suggested Reading: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle and The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss


5. Botanical Bookmark Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Cut two pieces of laminate sheet into the same size (such as 8"x2").
  2. Peel one piece and place seeds, grass, bits of leaves, petals, etc. on the sticky side, leaving lots of space between items and along the edges. (The pieces of laminate won't stick together if there isn't enough clear space along the edges.)
  3. Peel the second piece and place on top like a sandwich. (Caution: the laminate is VERY sticky and cannot be pulled apart to reset.) Trim edges if needed.
  4. Punch a hole near one end and thread a ribbon or piece of yarn through and tie a knot to make a decorative tassel.

NOTE: if a child has put too many items on his/her bookmark and the sheets won't stick together, simply cut two pieces slightly larger than the child's bookmark, and sandwich the bookmark between them.

Suggested Reading: Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert and Sunflower House by Eve Bunting


6. Cow Seeds Materials:

Instructions: These are made in advance and then given to the children at the end of the program.

  1. Colour the beans in a cow pattern (Holstein) with black permanent marker to make them look "cow-like".
  2. Put 3-5 cow-beans into each sandwich bag and insert growing instructions inside each bag or staple them to the outside of the bags.

Growing Instructions: Plant seeds in soil; give them water to keep them moist but not too wet. When they sprout, make sure they get sunlight, too. Most importantly, to help them grow you must "Moo" at them every day and tell them stories.

Suggested Reading: Jack and the Beanstalk (various authors) and Jasper's Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen


7. Mini Window Garden Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Fold a sheet of paper towel so it fits snugly into the re-sealable plastic bag.
  2. Staple the layers of bag and paper towel together two inches below the seal of the bag, making a horizontal line of about 4-5 staples.
  3. Place 4-5 seeds along the staples, inside the bag.
  4. Pour a small amount of water in the bag (1/4 cup?) so that the paper towel is wet but the water level is not above the staple line. The water line should never be touching the seeds.
  5. Seal the bag for taking home, but once home, partially open the seal and tape the bag to the window. Watch the seeds grow, and be sure to add more water when necessary (enough to keep paper towel moist).

Suggested Reading: From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons and I'm a Seed by Jean Marzollo