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I need inspiration.
I want the kids to plant something each. Something that they can take home in a plant pot. Not cress, tomatoes or beans. Our topic is woodlands, so something linked to that - so not really vegetables.
What have you all planted recently?
Haven’t contributed for a while as
A) I am no longer a childminder ( I still do craft with 0-4 year olds though)
B) I am not a childminder
BUT
You all know I love gardening and outdoors, so ...
Grow meadow seeds, you do have to prepare the ground well but always grows if prep is done, great surprises and varieties.
Grow bluebells : How to grow bluebells - Woodland Trust
Cosmos - my always go to...they grow in any condition...they sprout quickly from seed which is always a winner and then survive despite abuse and neglect.
Nasturtiums- same as above...and you can eat them.
Any herbs - my LO’s loved prolific mint ..easy peasy to grow - but does take over unless you plant in a tub.
Each child growing : just plant on once seedling shows in a bigger pot, several seedlings together. We used to always grow meadow seeds in a big tub each . LO’s brought a pot/ dish from home which they loved to do (and I didn’t then need to buy pots) I always found if they brought things that we used everyone ( LO and parents) was more interested. One child brought an old stove pan from grandads which worked very well.
I have been out in our garden today but we are about 6 weeks behind southern plants as I am so high up...My instinct wants to plants my flower seeds but it is too early up here!
Happy gardening Maza.
Thanks for the reply Floradora.
I'm still not childminding at the moment but am still planning on returning to childminding - probably with DH as well - when we do eventually move. I'm still very dedicated to the profession and passionate about it. I don't think people will mind too much if we post from time to time - I hope not anyway. I love hearing how everyone on here is getting on, personally as well as professionally, and would hate to leave this forum - it's a lovely place!
Hope life is treating you well since your move Floradora.
Yes, I was thinking about cosmos. I will look into bluebells too. Great idea about the children bringing in their own pot.
Flora and Maza,
you both HAVE to keep posting! i love hearing what you are up to, and you have so much experience, both of you, that you have kindly shared, and will, i hope, continue to share. Sometimes, some one who has 'stepped away' can see things more clearly than those of us embroiled in the middle of whatever it is!
I'm liking all those ideas for planting, and for the children to bring their own pots to plant in :D ... I've got a couple of 'at home' days in half term ( ours is next week ) and one day will have children ranging from 16 mths to 12 yrs and i'm thinking planting could be a good activity!
Ahhh, thanks loocyloo!
I think I've decided to grow … grass! I got the idea from a post on here a few years ago.
I grew grass last year ... in egg cartons to make caterpillars. :D
I grew grass in a large square garden tray then all summer we used it for small world play, we cut it with scissors and left a corner long for animals and little people to hide in. It was a playground, safari, farm, fairyland. We watered it and sometimes it was squelchy..so we took to using small spray bottles, a good finer motor activity that seemed to absorb them in thought and took loads of time up - a great planting activity with lots of potential.
The following year we grew grass in a tray for the fairy garden lawn.
I’ve seen grass heads too, but never grown them my self.
Thankyou for your kind words. I am not sure how I ever found the time to plan things for a week’s activity - I do a two hour session a week and it takes me all week to come up with an idea and prepare it now!
I had two of my mindees and their mum up to visit at the beginning of the week which was lovely. We visited the Beatrix potter land on one day and all I could do in my head was come up with ideas to improve the experience for little ones. It was nice and the LO’s at 3 and 6 ( “nearly 7 “ was her mantra) enjoyed it but I wanted more for my money!
We have rabbits galore that we have to keep out of our gardens like Mr McGregor so when we came home I had planned an activity to create a small Mr McGregors garden, in the corner of ours. I had found some small trowels that looked like spades a couple of weeks ago that inspired me and DH made a gate and started the foundations for a garden wall we watched the programme and read books to look at his garden and then laid a path up the middle and added soil for veg patches and had fun trying to build a wall like his. Their mum laughed and commented that even on a visit I had a linked theme in the activities. I can’t help it!
Happy planting everyone.
Completely agree loocyloo , please keep posting Maza and floradora!
We planted grass in old tights to make our caterpillars , their favourite bit was using scissors to give them a haircut! We spent the day in the garden yesterday too , it was a gorgeous springlike day...I had to keep reminding myself it’s only February and too early to do any planting!
I didn’t know that cosmos was meant to be foolproof.....that just shows how bad a gardener I must be , I can kill anything!!
mama2three that made me laugh! I would probably be unsuccessful with cosomos too!
I have made grass hedgehogs with old tights before - it was a freebie activity at a farm we visited. Fabulous as it grew so quickly.
Loocyloo the egg box caterpillar sounds fantastic - and cheap! I have to plan it for four classes and so by the time I've bought four big trays and compost it works out quite expensive. (I can claim it back, but not sure if we have enough left in the budget, so will have to fund a bit of it myself.) I was maybe going to do two trays per class and each class put one tray in a cupboard to show that grass doesn't grow as well in shaded areas - garden experts, do you think that would work?
I looked back at the original post where I got the idea from, and it was you, Floradora, who suggested it back then, lol. I like the idea of using it for small world play - fits in with our work on areal maps too! You must be having a ball coming up with ideas for your new environment. Peter Rabbit is one of my favourite books to plan from, but planning it from the countryside must be magical. Mama2three - I bet you could grow radishes like Mr McGregor - even I manage to grow them!
I’ll avoid answering the question for gardening experts Maza!!
We did grow radishes up at the allotment , and artichokes which do seem to be indestructible!! And I’m very good at weeds!
I pruned back the roses last week...I had no idea what I was doing though.
Can you ask parents for donations of compost or soil. Could children bring in their own pot of soil maybe? I know our foundation teacher was always spending her own money until her oh put his foot down. Parents are always asked now!
Yes please do both keep posting! :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Maza