My wife has the task of providing a spring activity for my sons pre-k class of about 12 kids. I wanted to ask the members of Dave's Garden for any ideas for a simple yet fun project for some 3 and 4 year olds. I mentioned filling peat pots with potting soil and planting chives. Then take a dixie cup, have them paint faces on them or whatever ends up being drawn, place the peat pot in the dixie(to hold water) and the chives would eventually look like hair. Any suggestions or ideas that might improve. The issue of the kids getting the pots home came up...but my wife told me the mothers will pick the kids up that day...no school bus rides with spilled pots. Maybe the pellets that rise when soaked, they might have less tendency to spill...
Any other ideas????
Please help with ideas for spring party project for kids.
I think "funny face pots" are a great idea, but better yet if you can make them with plastic, terra cotta (sealed, if possible -- better painting surface and potting mix will stay moist longer too), or ceramic pots. I know there's more of a clean-up issue with markers or paints on ceramic pots, but it might be do-able. Paint pens would be an option (I think you'd have to put a sealer over acrylic paint)... With ceramic pots, you might be able to use my favorite "Porcelaine" ceramic paints (also comes in pens), but that's a two part project... paint has to dry 24 hours and then be "fired" in an oven (could be done by you between project days, and then the kids could plant the seeds in the pots on another day).
I'd stay away from peat pots or peat pellets, as I think both of those can cause issues with the plants down the road... a good potting mix is your best bet, preferably with polymer moisture crystals added (helps with both underwatering and overwatering).
The kids will love giving their plants a hair cut -- snippings can be used on salads etc., too!
Hi, 3 to 4 year-olds? Hmm. They like to get their hands into anything, if I know kids!! That's the age they become aware of written words and lettering. I would suggest sign-making--to make herb labels. Have them select an herb they like, put it in a pot, and make the label. If they can use scissors with or without assistance, they could cut their shapes and write herb names such as "Sage", "Mint" Thyme", etc. and color ot paint. The signs can be stapled or glued to popsicle sticks.
It's not about herbs, but what about having them sprout sweet potatoes? Fast and fun, and some of them might be able to wind up planting them and eating SPs.
In Florida, this didn't work during summer but we'd take the top part of a carrot (part you cut off), place it in a mayonnaise jar lid with water in a bright window. It'd grow the tops.
If you can find some, show the kids a boll of cotton; where the seeds are. Raw peanuts purchased in the shell can be shelled and planted in pots. Onions that have sprouted can be partially planted (no need to bury the bulb-it'll become scallions). Make sure to have plenty of already growing fragrant herbs for them to smell, especially mint.
Beans are quick to grow. Popcorn sounds fun.
Maybe you can find photos of "ice cream plants": Vanilla and chocolate. Vanilla is the seed pod of an orchid, not a bean.
We did the sweet potato in jar of water as kids, too.
Stress "show and ask an adult before tasting": someone could have sprayed the plants but they'd understand a dog peeing on a plant.