T he following are all fun and easy things to
consider growing:
* Beans ~ Pop a seed onto some damp cotton wool in a clear plastic
bag, tape it to the window and watch it grow; slip a bean seed in
between a layer of wet paper towel sand the inside of a jar (or for
maximum engagement, use an old CD case half filled with soil to sprout
your seeds!) The large seed size means it’s easy for the children to
see the process of sprouting and root growth.
* Grass - decorate some recycled plastic cups or containers with
faces, fill the container with soil, sprinkle on some grass seed and
watch them grow ‘hair!’
* Bulbs, radishes, cress, sugar-snap peas, geraniums and marigolds are
also very easy to grow (and the flowers make great gifts to take
home when you’ve finished).
* The children can take weekly measurements to record and graph
the growth of their plants, or make small sketches to show growth
over time.
[3] Set up a Spring Nature Table
Mark the changing seasons on your nature table by including special finds from your
nature walk. You could include:
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Vases (for spring flowers and branches that are in bud/blossom
Egg shells & empty birds’ nests
A basket of spring themed non-fiction books (don’t forget to include
ones that are relevant to your local area so the chid can use
them to identify their finds)
A calendar with links to the seasons as well as the months
Small containers (egg cartons are great!) for sorting, grouping and
organising small finds
Magnifying glasses, scrap paper and pencils for encouraging close
observation and sketching
Rulers and scales for comparing and
accurately recording their finds
A spring nature table can include
flowers, egg shells, bird nests and other nature items
to encourage exploration and discovery.