Monday, May 31, 2010

Growing in the Garden


This week we will be busy planting our vegetable garden.  Daddy recently redid our backyard to create a playground area and our very own garden space.  We are so excited to get it started!

Large Motor
Be a Plant- we will curl up like seeds and then with some help from the sun, we will grow into tall plants

Small Motor
Garden Sensory Tub- the tub will once again be filled with dirt and lots of other items that can be found in the garden

Seed Sort- we will be examining seeds before we plant them and sorting them in various ways

Planting- there are lots of large and small motor skills involved in digging holes and planting seeds and seedlings

Crafts
Plant Markers- we'll be using tongue depressors to make markers for each of the veggies we plant

Birdhouse- I picked up a wooden birdhouse for $1 at JoAnn Fabrics for Eva to paint and decorate and then hang in our garden

Stepping Stone- Eva got a kit to make a stepping stone for her birthday that we will finally do

Veggie Prints- we'll be picking up a few veggies at the market to taste this week and a few extras to paint with

Other Activities
Field Trip- we will be going to the Public Market to buy our flowers and vegetable plants and pick out a few fruits and veggies for tasting

Celery Science- using a celery stalk and food coloring we will observe how plants get moisture from the soil up to their leaves

See-Through Planter- a favorite from my days teaching first grade- we'll be "planting" a seed using paper towels in a plastic baggie so that we can see what happens to a seed as it becomes a plant


Books
Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z (Harcourt Brace Big Book) Flora's Surprise This Year's Garden Dancers in the Garden Oliver's Vegetables (Venture - Health & the Human Body) Princess Chamomile's Garden Little Green Mrs. Spitzer's Garden The Garden That We Grew (Puffin Easy-to-Read. Level 2) A Bunny for All Seasons How Groundhog's Garden Grew Zinnia's Flower Garden What Does Bunny See?: A Book of Colors and Flowers The Pea Blossom Counting In The Garden In the Garden: Who's Been Here? The Curious Garden Riki's Birdhouse Strega Nona's Harvest Flowers Bloom! (I Like Plants!) One LIttle Seed (Booklist Editor's Choice. Books for Youth (Awards)) Wildflower ABC: An Alphabet of Potato Prints  In the Tall, Tall Grass (An Owlet Book)Planting a Rainbow: Lap-Sized Board Book  The Tiny Seed (World of Eric Carle)