HAVE YOU PLANTED YOUR GARDEN YET?

All over the country people are planting their gardens.  There's still a little magic when a seed begins to sprout.  I remember eating a popsicle with my older cousins when I was a preschooler.  They told me if I dug a hole and put my popsicle in it then it would grow into a popsicle tree.  I'm still waiting!!!  I also enjoyed letting my students brainstorm different objects we could plant, like jelly beans and pennies. 
Hint! If you line a plastic up with a paper towel and fill the center with sand you can insert items and watch what happens.

The Planting Song
(Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”
Let’s all plant some seeds, (Pretend to dig.)
Let’s all plant some seeds.
Hi, ho, it’s spring you know,
Let’s all plant some seeds.

The rain begins to fall… (Wiggle fingers down.)
The sun warms the earth…(Arms over head.)
The seeds begin to grow… (Pretend one arm is a plant.)

Growing, Growing! 

What does a seed need to grow? Brainstorm with the children and write their responses on the board. Take five cups and draw the following as shown:
soil, water, sun, air
soil, water, air
soil, water, sun
soil, sun, air
sun, air, water

Plant several bean seeds in each cup. Encourage the children to predict what will happen. Observe. Evaluate predictions after several weeks.

Seed Hunt

Brainstorm different seeds that come from foods we eat, such as apples, oranges, sunflowers, avocados, popcorn...  Challenge children to look in their kitchens at home and bring in seeds.  Plant the seeds in clear cups and label.  Place in a sunny window, water, and you might be surprised at what comes up!