Materials
- Plastic children's swimming pool
- Potting soil
- Seeds
- Seed packets, optional
- Rulers, optional
What to do
1. Place a plastic swimming pool in an outside area where sunlight will reach it. Fill it about half full with potting soil.
2. Encourage the children to plant seeds in the "garden." If desired, place seed packets over the ends of rulers and place them in the dirt to mark the rows of seeds.
3. Choose a "farmer" daily or weekly to water the garden. Watch it grow!
More to do
- Extensions to this activity are endless and extend across all aspects of curriculum.
- You can connect farming, planting, the parts of flowers and vegetables, weather, measurement, sorting, patterning, and many other topics to this activity.
-Julie Hoffman, Olean, NY
Instructions
1. Make your own form entitled "Things to Do to Prepare for Group Time,"
"Things to Remember to Do," "From the Teacher's Desk," or whatever title
seems appropriate.
2. Divide the paper into five sections, one for each day of the week. Write the
names of the days of the week.
3. Under the title at the top, make three columns. Label them: "At Home," "In
the Office," and "In the Classroom." In the top margin write, "Week
Themes."
4. Make multiple copies of the form so that you will have one to use each week.
5. Use this form to jot down materials you need to locate, items you need to
bring from home, things you need to turn in to the office, things you need to
turn in for purchase, things you need to pick up from the office, and so on.
6. It's also a good idea to note when it's time to change a bulletin board, make
a class quantity of pages for the next week, cut out a craft project, fold and
staple little books, mix paints, or anything that will require preparation time
before group time begins.
