Kindergarten readiness is something that grows and develops. So do seeds, and planting some in the spring is both fun and learning. A favorite seed to plant is a bean because it grows quite big fairly quickly. Bean seeds can be planted in cups, egg cartons, little pots, tissue paper rolls, and even ziplock bags that can be taped to a window. Recently, I saw a bean seed planted in an old CD case which made it super easy to see the roots. But today we planted a few herb seeds in a fairy garden.
To make a fairy or herb garden, you can use a big, wide pot with lots of dirt. It needs to be fairly moist before popping in the seeds. Seeds like basil and thyme are about the size of a speck of sand and disappear in the dirt. It’s easier to sort of sprinkle on a few seeds and then cover them with some extra dirt rather than trying to put them into a finger hole.
The different sizes of seeds is quite interesting and only a few seeds like corn and peas look like the plant. You can show your child how seeds can be different sizes, shapes, and colors. Besides learning about seeds, kids also learn about patience because they have to wait for the seeds to make little sprouts and then bigger plants. This can take several days. Kids learn about how to care for plants, giving them a bit of water and making sure they get some sun. Knowing that seeds grow into plants is a basic, but important, science fact. The whole experience of planting a seed and then caring for a plant helps children develop a connection to nature. Seeds may be small, but do you agree, the learning can be big? And fun?