Back when I was teaching preschoolers, we would plant anything like simple beans, to watch them quickly sprout, strawberries to harvest and eat or any seed we found on the ground to see what would happen. There is something so special about children engaging with nature and watching the world around them change and grow.
I always tried to find ways of combining different subjects into one activity and this particular one is perfect for that. Children will practice fine and gross motor skills, color recognition, counting, social skills, patience, turn-taking, teamwork, and they’ll have many opportunities for sensory stimulation.
My nephew, Sebastian, is at the perfect age (7) for fun, engaging activities. Don’t get me wrong, baby stuff is super cute and fun but I end up having to do all the work and after a few minutes, his toes are more interesting than anything I can offer.
Sebastian loves everything nature, especially planting, so I knew this activity would be perfect for him. He did all of the work (kid has magical patience powers), but from experience, it works best if you have a couple children to work with since it can take a little long. Check this out!
SEED BOMBS!
There are many variations of this activity and since Sebastian loves being part of the whole process, I asked him to help me research for the best idea. He chose this one from Twig & Toadstool.
You’ll need:
- colored construction paper
- wildflower seeds pack
- food processor
- cheese cloth
- elastics
- cups & bowls
Tear up each paper and separate into bowls by color.
Pour water over paper bits until they are all covered. Let them soak for 20 minutes.
Taking one color at a time: add the bowl of water and paper to a food processor and blend.
Cut out a square of cheese cloth, lay it over a cup and secure it with an elastic.
Pour half of your paper/water pulp into the cheese cloth to begin draining.
Undo the elastic and give the cheesecloth a squeeze to drain out more of the moisture. Roll the mixture in your hands until you form a ball.
Let the seed bombs dry outside. Ours took a whole day.
Once they are dry you can sink them in some soil, they don’t have to be completely covered or planted. Just water them well and watch them as they begin to sprout in a few days. Ours started to in 5 days!
xoxo
Mari Pelli
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