Mortimer’s First Garden

Planting a garden is a great way to celebrate Earth Day. I absolutely loved this book the first time we read it. This is the same mouse from Mortimer’s Christmas Manger. My kids love Mortimer Mouse.

• Read “Mortimer's First Garden” by Karma Wilson … Mortimer hears the big people talking about planting seeds in the dirt. He has one sunflower seed left and decides to see if this miracle is true!

 

• Match the seeds … we can grow so many delicious foods. This fun matching game from Montessori for Everyone shows the inside and outsides of several fruits we eat.
1. Print these wonderful, free matching cards here.
2. Click on the “Whole and Half Fruit” link
3. Cut the cards apart and laminate.
4. Lay all of the whole fruits on the ground.
5. Choose a half fruit and make a match! Be sure to examine the different seeds inside!
6. OPTIONAL: Have a real piece of each of these fruits. When you find a match, cut open the real fruit, examine it, and try a slice!
• Let’s Plant a Garden Fingerplay … a fun fingerplay from The Friend magazine!

photo source: simple kids

• Plant a mini garden … just like Mortimer, let the kids plant a few seeds and watch them grow!
  1. Carefully remove the lid from an empty egg carton. 
  2. Lay newspaper out on the table (or do this outside!)
  3. Use a spoon to fill each section 1/2 full with soil.
  4. Plant a seed in each section. We will plant sunflower seeds!
  5. You may want to label the sections if you plant a variety of seeds.
  6. Top with more soil and spritz with water (use a squirt bottle)
  7. Place in a sunny window.
• Snack Idea: Fruit & Sunflower Seeds!

Growing a Garden Indoors (or Seeds)

You could do this activity for G = garden, growing or S = seeds, soil, spring.

1. Each of the kids got a plastic baseball card holder. Available here.
2. They helped spoon dirt into each section (about half full)
3. Then they chose from our seeds whatever they wanted to plant. We had cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes.
4. Drop a few seeds in each section
5. Add a little more soil
6. Then squirt a few squirts of water with a squirt bottle.
7. Label each section so you know what was growing.
8. Use a hole punch to punch two holes at the top.
9. Hang in the window with suction cups. I didn't trust our little dollar store suction cups, so I also taped around the edges. They didn’t fall down and we really enjoyed watching the little sprouts get big enough to transplant outside! In cooler weather, transplant into bigger pots and set in a sunny window.

Growing Grass (or seeds)

Great to use for G week (grow grass) or S week (seeds, soil).

1. Let the kids decorate their cup with a face. Googly eyes always make it more fun. I like planting the seeds in clear cups so we can watch the roots growing too.
2. Fill the cup about 2/3 full with dirt.
3. Sprinkle grass seeds on top and covered with a little more soil.
4. Water until moist with a squirt bottle and sit in a sunny window.
5. Don't forget to give them a little spritz when they start looking dry.
6. We talked about what seeds need to grow ... soil, water, sunlight.

It took about 1 week exactly to start seeing tiny sprouts, then in another week, they were getting very tall! The kids think it's fun to give them a haircut every now and then too.

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