Think Spring!

by Judy Hand
http://www.mommytips.com

Let's start thinking warm, pretty weather with lots of green grass, leafy trees, pretty flowers, and fresh vegetables.  Um....doesn't it make you feel better already?  I think it would do us good to get our hands in some dirt and do a little indoor gardening stuff first. Hey, green plants take in that carbon dioxide and give off the oxygen we need, and you're not going to get that from those plastic things you've got sitting around.

Pick out a few of these projects to do with your children. They'll love it, and so will you.

Terrarium

You Will Need:
A packet of pretty flower seeds
Potting soil
Plastic 2 liter bottle

Cut the bottle about 4 inches from the bottom-all the way around. Place the soil in the bottom part and plant a few seeds in the dirt. Water it lightly. With the cap on the bottle, replace the top portion, aligning it correctly. Place it in a sunny spot and watch the seeds grow.  Be sure you keep the soil nice and damp, but don't overwater.  When the seeds have turned into plants, you're ready to move them to pots or to your garden.

Herb Garden

Gardening Wizardry for Kids Click for More Info

You Will Need:
Absorbent paper towels
Clear jar
Spray water bottle
Spices or herbs (celery, fennel, poppy, sesame)

Line the inside of the jar with several layers of paper towels. Spray the towels with a light mist of water. Place the seeds between the towels and the glass, halfway down. Spray the towels with water several times a day to keep them moist. The kids can watch the seeds sprout and you can accumulate a pantry full of fresh herbs and spices.

Grow Bean Sprouts

Punch holes with a nail and hammer in a plastic lidded jar or a glass lidded jar. Soak bean seeds about 20 minutes and drain them. Place the jar on the kitchen cabinet out of direct sunlight. Twice a day, rinse and drain the seeds. You'll have bean sprouts for your salad, or stir fry, before you know it.

Make a Hippie!

Decorate a styrofoam cup to look like a face. Be creative...use paint, paper,
buttons, seeds, etc.  Place a few small stones in the bottom of the cup for drainage and add some soil. Sprinkle grass seed and cover with a light layer
of soil. The grass will grow  the hippie's hair. When it gets too long, give him a hair cut!

Grow Garlic

In a fairly deep container, plant one clove of garlic into soil. This one clove of garlic will eventually make a whole head of garlic!  Be sure you don't overwater or the clove will rot.

Plant a Potato

Put a small potato, with eyes starting to sprout, in a deep container of soil. Place it in full sun.  Keep watch, with a little Irish luck, you can grow a whole bed of potatoes.

Grow Some Peas

Soak them (any kind) overnight. Plant them in a fairly large container of soil. Water them well and place them in a sunny window. Be patient! In about two months--fresh peas!

Decorate Pots

Purchase various sizes of clay pots.  Get out the paint, a small brush, and let the kids paint flowers, or designs, on the pots.  Then, add soil and a pretty plant or seeds for growing one.

Make a Seed Necklace

You might use leftover seeds, or purchase a variety of seeds and beans for this project. Soak the seeds and beans in water. Some will need to soak overnight. When they are softened, remove them from the water and poke a little hole in each one with a needle. Dry the seeds overnight or until they are very dry.  Thread the needle with a piece of strong thread for a necklace or bracelet. (Thread may even be doubled). String the beans and seeds into any design you want and tie the ends together. Viola!  What fun!

Okay, if you need something "springy" to do right now and don't have any seeds or beans, here are a few "imitation" things to do:

Make Daffodils

You Will Need:
Green pipe cleaners
Yellow cupcake paper
Yellow crepe paper
First, cut the shape of the back of the daffodil. Put a small hole in the center for a pipe cleaner. Cut the cupcake paper in half. Roll it until you can glue the pleated edges together, making the part of the flower that sticks out in front. Make a hole and put the pipe cleaner through both parts of the flower. Glue the trumpet part onto the back of the flower. Paint a little orange edge with markers to make it look life like.

Popcorn Flowers

You Will Need:
Popped Popcorn
Tempera Paint
Green Construction Paper
Glue
Cardboard
Put popped popcorn into plastic baggies and add powdered tempura paint. Shake well. Cut stems and leaves out of green construction paper and glue them to the cardboard. Glue on the colored popcorn to make pretty spring flowers.

Little Hand Flowers

Trace the outlines of the children's hands onto paper.  Cut them out and roll
them up, using a pencil, so that they curl up (with the fingers curling
outwards. Staple the flower onto a drinking straw, along with cutout leaves.  
Do several for a nice bouquet.

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