ACTIVITIES

Warm weather calls us outside and urges us to get in touch with nature. Planting flowers and vegetables provides great opportunities for kids to learn about the important relationship we share with our Earth. The following projects are wonderful ways to teach kids about recycling and to involve them with the process of gardening.

Newspaper Flower Pots

This is a great activity, especially at school or with a group of kids, and it
gives the kids a project they can bring home. We taught my daughter’s first-grade
class how to make homemade flower pots out of recycled newspaper and then had
them transfer a small vegetable seedling in it to take home for planting. We
created the pot by doubling a sheet of newsprint and then folding it in half.
Next we wrapped the print around the lower half of a standard mason jar like
you would a present. After the bottom half is completely covered and the bottom
is folded flat and taped securely in place, the jar can be pulled out. At our
school, we purchased flats of tomatoes, bell peppers and zucchini, and the
children placed the seedlings in the paper pots with some extra soil and a
small amount of water. Too much water will break apart the delicate paper pot.
We instructed the kids to take them home and plant them directly into their
own garden. After a few watering cycles the newsprint disintegrates into the
earth and the growing plant remains. My daughter planted her paper pot in a
large planter in a sunny spot. She is solely responsible for taking care of
it and it is thriving. In addition to making use of old paper and learning
that healthy food comes from the earth, she also gains a sense of pride from
her responsible caretaking.

Seeded Paper Creatures

This project combines the values of reuse and recycling with the lessons of growing
plants from seeds. This activity teaches kids how to make homemade paper from
old scraps and other household disposables such as lint or coffee filters.
Flower seeds are added into the mix to create a seeded paper that can be planted
directly into the earth. Here’s how it works: Fill up your blender half full with torn up (tiny) pieces of scrap paper. As mentioned, laundry lint can be added to the mixture as well as used coffee filters. Add warm water to fill up blender. Blend for approximately 30 seconds or until you no longer see the torn pieces of paper. Place the wet pulp into a large bowl and gently stir in a teaspoon of flower seeds. Empty the mixture into a large strainer and squeeze out excess water. Place the mixture in cookie cutters to form desired shapes (we used animal shapes). Once the shapes are made, let them dry for 2-3 days. They should feel like cardboard. They can then be planted directly into the ground.

BOOKS

A great book to check out:

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
Sharon Lovejoy

This book is a wonderful resource for parents who wish to involve their children
in gardening. The author provides a list of the 20 best plants for kids and the
reasons why. Both parents and children will enjoy reading this book.