Materials
Flower pots, clay or plastic, one for each child
Small jars of acrylic paint
Small paintbrushes (watercolor brushes are fine)
Tulip bulbs, one for each child, plus two extras Potting soil Acrylic sealant, if pots are clay, available at art or paint stores
Permanent marker
Trowels or large spoons
Gardening gloves, optional What to do
- If you are using clay flowerpots, spray them with the sealant the day before doing thes project.
- In samll groups, let the children paint their flowerpots with the acrylic paint. Use the permanent markers to write their names on the pots. Acrylic paint is water soluble so the brushes can becleaned with water. Allow the pots to dry overnight.
- Plant the two extra bulbs in separate pots.
- Let the children water their bulbs and put them in a sunny place in your classroom.
- Let the children water their bulbs and put them in a sunny place in your classroom.
- Ask the children what the bulbs need to grow. Tell them you are going to do an experiment with one of the bulbs by putting it in a closet to see what will happen. Ensourage the children tohypothesize what will happen to the bulb in the closet.
- Mark on your class calendar the day that you planted the bulbs and each day cont how many days it has been since.
- Ask the shildren to water their bulbs regularly, once a week is probably fine.
When the bulbs begin to sprout, note which bulbs are sprouting. Are they all? Why or why not?
- Compare the children's bulbs with the bulb in the closet.
- Once they begin to sprout, graph each day how far the bulbs grow.
- Just before the bulbs flower, send them home with the children.
Barbara Saul, Eureka, CA
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