Materials
large non-breakable bowls
large spoons
small pitchers filled with water
measuring spoons and cups
various dry food substances such as salt, flour, sugar, cornmeal, oatmeal,
cornstarch, and so on
chef hats and aprons (optional)
Instructions
1. To prepare, use a craft knife to cut off the lower 1/4 of each plastic bottle.
Discard the bottoms. Save the tops to use as greenhouses.
2. Give each child a small pot, a flower bulb, a small trowel or spoon, and some
potting soil.
3. Show the children how to plant the bulb in the pot. Put the potting soil in
the pot, place the bulb in the center (try to point the sprout end upward),
and then add more potting soil on top. Ask them to press down gently with
their fingertips.
4. Let the children lightly water their bulbs. Put the pots on a sunny shelf.
5. Invert the plastic bottles on top of the pots to create mini greenhouses. If
desired, let the children decorate the greenhouses with small flower and leaf
stickers. (Don't overdo it or the sun will not be able to reach the bulbs.)
6. Encourage the children to observe the bulbs over a period of several weeks.
Use a journal to record the changes the plants undergo.
7. When the weather is right, take the bulbs outdoors and plant them in a
garden.
8. You can do this activity using grass seed instead of bulbs, if desired. Put
potting soil in the pots and sprinkle with grass seed. Gently water and put
the pots on a sunny shelf. Cover with the plastic bottle greenhouses and
watch the grass grow.
More to do Field Trip: Take a field trip to a real greenhouse.
