Hobbies And Interests
Plant Flowers
Give each child a small pot, small soil and a packet of seeds. Have each kid fill their pot with soil and show them the correct way to plant the seed in the soil, by digging a small hole, placing in the seed and then covering it up. Teach children the optimal growing conditions for flowers, such as the healthy amounts of sunlight and water for that specific seed.
Have each child choose a spot in the classroom for their plant and put them in charge of watering and caring for their own plants. See whose plant is the most successful and have children figure out why.
Build a Terrarium
A terrarium is an enclosed area for growing plants, such as a large glass box or plastic base with a clear cover. Purchase a box that can be used as your classroom terrarium (an aquarium meant for fish works well) and have children fill the bottom with soil. Plant seeds, water them once and cover the top with the clear cover.
A terrarium teaches children about the natural water cycle: evaporation, condensation and precipitation. By watering the seeds once and leaving the box in the sunlight, children will be able to observe water droplets forming on the roof of their box and then falling back on to the plant, demonstrating how rain falls outside on the earth.
Take a Nature Walk
Take kids on a nature walk to observe the different kinds of plants there are outside. Observe which plants grow the best in the sunlight, which are mostly shaded, which seem to need a lot of space and which ones are grouped together.
Plant Fruits and Vegetables
Buy tomato seedlings or choose another fruit or vegetable and plant it in the backyard to grow your own produce. Some easy plants to grow include tomatoes, strawberries, beets, garlic and zucchini. These plants require minimal effort and experience and are relatively simple to get good results.
Take care of these plants by watering them, seeding them and protecting them from insects and animals and enjoy your own produce when the fruits begin to appear.