We begin story time each week singing “Here we are together in our very own homes.” We all need the reminder that even though we are apart, we are together. In each of our homes and yards we’ve been united as we notice Spring’s presence in the tiny plants covering the ground, flowers opening up on their gentle stems and tree branches and in the warm sun felt on our faces as we work outside. Knowing that so many of us are listening to birds, planting seeds, working in the sun and wind and welcoming this season in similar ways, helps us to feel that we are all together “in our very own homes.”
At our last story time, Amy helped us to celebrate gardens with hand rhymes, and stories including “Up, Down and All Around” by Katherine Ayers. You can watch this story being read here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQYPuJXkVpY
Both Amy and Polly showed us how acorns are sending sprouts down into the ground. Any child can plant an acorn, or seed found outside or from a seed package and see what happens. It’s a timeless magical process to see how a seed works with the sun and rain to transform into something new. Polly showed us how this process works through “Plant the Tiny Seed.” You can participate in reading this book with the author Christie Matheson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYMgUvqs-D4
Why planting seeds with kids is great:
- Kids are naturally fascinated by transformation and seeds are a great example of how one thing turns into something else.
- Growing a plant allows us to practice waiting for what we want, an incredibly important skill, especially in our screen filled instant gratification world.
- Participating in the life cycle of plants develops our caring instincts which all species and our planet needs from each of us!
A fun resource:
There are many fantastic time lapse videos of seeds sprouting. Here is just one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w77zPAtVTuI