Growing a garden is a norm for my children but not all children have access to a planter let alone a garden. Including gardening options in our daycare and school curriculums gives all children the opportunity to experience the joy of growing a plant from a seed.
Here is a list of easy to grow plants. Success is importance so children are encouraged.
We have tried various growing options including peat pellets:
But nothing beats getting your hands stuck into a bag of potting soil, as we did when making fairy gardens:
There are so many ways to incorporate gardening in the classroom.
Ideas for cross curricular links
Science:
- Experiment with conditions (variables) such as heat, light, water
- Investigate what does a seed needs to germinate
- Investigate what a plant needs to grow
- Make hypothesis
- Takes measurements
- Record results
- Learn about the parts of a plant by growing in a clear pot.
The Sprout and Grow Window and Plant and Grow Set allow children to see roots growing.
Math:
- Measure the plant every few days
- Measure leaf size
- Count number of leaves or flowers
Cuisenaure Jr. Ants on a Log would be great for measuring leaves while this Simple Tape Measure or blocks would be suitable for measuring height.
Art:
- Draw the seedling every few days to show development
- Emphasise the importance of proportion
- Use diagrams to represent plant life cycles
Language Arts:
- Tell the story of a seed (life cycles)
- Read non fictions texts about plants and gardening and analyse structure.
- Use drama to act out the life cycle of a flowering plant (involving bees for pollination, and animals for seed dispersal)
There are so many ways to include growing seedlings or plants in the classroom.
Happy growing.
