Homeschool Chronicles Edition 7 - Planting for Science Class
This year our daughter is in second grade. With the Christian Light Education curriculum we use, Science is an optional subject until third grade. So we decided to opt out of getting the science workbooks and only do hands on projects and experiments with her this year. What better way to learn science than using all of our senses?!!!
We have noticed our daughter taking a great interest in planting and learning how to take care of them. She has asked her father and I if we can get her an indoor plant to take care of. Well we found the perfect fit for her...a fairy garden! She loves fairies and using her imagination so we knew she would enjoy this.
Freya’s Magical Cottage
We found this garden playset at ‘The Toy Store’ while visiting Kansas last month. We thought it was so neat that they paired up playtime with gardening. This is such a clever way for kids to learn as well as teaching them responsibility.
Here is the cottage that she will plant her flower seeds in. It came with these really cute mini garden tools as well as Freya the fairy and her rabbit. You can use this stand to place Freya anywhere in the garden or use the included wire attachment. The wire attaches to her back and you can then hook it to the edge of the cottage to make it look like she’s flying.
Another thing we really love about this set is that it focuses on teaching STEM skills.
Let’s Begin Our Planting
1. We placed the compressed soil in a bowl with three cups of water. You have to allow the discs to soften and expand as they absorb the water.
2. Break up the damp soil with the gardening rake.
3. Scoop the soil into the planting areas on the flowerpot.
4. Evenly scatter the seeds on all of the soil areas.
5. Gently press the seeds into the soil using the gardening tools.
6. Evenly sprinkle two ounces of water onto the seeds.
Sprouts Showing After 3 Days!!!
Our daughter was so excited to wake up on the third day after planting to see these little sprouts coming up. She jumped around and said,
they’re growing, they’re growing!
I don’t think she was expecting to see any sign of growth so soon. She stayed on top of watering them and making sure they had sunlight. We talked about the importance of not overwatering them and underwatering them. Everyday she checked the soil to make sure it stayed damp and not dried out. It is really fun watching her being responsible and taking care of her plants.
Inside the garden set box we found a paper explaining why fairy gardens need water, air and sunlight to grow. She learned about germination, carbon dioxide, photosynthesis and chlorophyll. What a fun time of learning we had!!! 😊
Leaves Showing After 7 Days!!!
It’s been fun so far watching her care for her plants and watching them grow. She has done most of the work, I’ve just been guiding her along the way and taking the photos lol! I really wanted this to be her project and her experience/experiment. She’s looking forward to seeing the flowers bloom. It could take up to six or ten weeks for us to start seeing some flowers. In the meantime she’s been collecting little rocks and pebbles to add to her cottage for decoration.
Thank you for joining our Science class today! I will be back with an update once the flowers start to bloom. I hope you enjoyed our planting session :D
Logo/Banner created by @rigaronib!
What a great project to with your kid. I’m going to do the same thing now with my own. It’s fun seeing your magical fairy world come to life! Plants are amazing!
Thank you!!! It was really fun to set up and it’s even better watching them grow! I think you all would love it!! 😃
Wow this is such a cool and interesting thing to play with and explore some gardening knowledge. Even I want to buy one and play. I love how it is packed with the necessary things and guided instructions. It does help to get those green fingers going, doesn't it? Just wondering if it is expensive or at an affordable price because of the cottage and fairy that come with it!
Thanks for sharing this @crosheille :) love it!
It really is neat how they made this and included all of the needed tools. Lol I think I was just as excited as she was to start this project!!! 😄
It was a little on the high end but I think that’s because all of what you get with it. We paid over 30 U.S. dollars for it but we knew it would be a great experience for her so it was worth it in my opinion.
Thanks for reading and commenting :)
Wow! That is such a fun planter! And a fantastic way to make school fun!
I love it!
Today, the bigs and I played a word builder game, then Horse-opoly with daddy this evening.... Counts as school to me! Plus its so fun!
Thanks for sharing!
@corrielaine
It is a lot fun!!! I’m glad you love it!!
I love how we can count a variety of fun activities as school...fun learning!!! 😊
Thanks so much for reading and supporting!!!
You should add #steemstem. :) This is really cute! I like how they added the little cottage to the planter as well. It does look like a fun toy for a kid. So cute! Do you know what kind of seeds there are? Just random grasses that grow quickly? I bet my kids would think this was pretty cool too! :)
Oh wow! Tell me why I didn’t even know about #steemstem? 😦 I’ve been posting about STEM and didn’t even know about that account. Thanks for always looking out sweet friend!!! 😘❤️ I just added the tag! 👍🏽
Yes I think your kids would really enjoy it!! Here is a list of the flowers that are included...
Wow, really cool! Maybe she'll get to pick some pretty flowers out of her little garden!! So cute.
Yes she would LOVE that!!!!
Great post @crosheille! I enjoy reading how you do homeschooling for your kids. Growing plants also can be a part of food education. I grow some edible plants in my balcony and I wish my daughter joins me soon. She can learn how food is grown, how hard/fun it is to have food etc :)
I look forward to reading about how you do other subjects too.
Thank you @akipponn! I’m so glad you enjoy reading my homeschooling posts! Thank you for that insight! That is very true that it could also be food education. Her aunt and uncle just gave her an oregano plant!! 😊 We’ll be planting that one next.
This is a great lesson where your kids can learn what seeds need soil, water and sun, and how seeds turn into sprouts and finally ripe.
Thumbs up, super mom.
Thank you so much!! It was a fun lesson, she was very engaged :)
That compressed soil is so neat! I really want one of these now, and I'm 31. Maybe I will get one and pretend it is for the kids.
My son recently found my stash of seeds and has been going through them (to their detriment), eager to examine how they all look differently, etc. So we just started a bed within my own garden that is all his.
There is something really magical about botany, for adults and kids.
I thought the compressed soil was really neat too! Lol, you should get you one!!! That’s really neat that your son has his own bed, what a way to encourage interest in planting!! 😃
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
This is an amazing way to teach children about science!
That's beautiful, you are raising a great scientist for the future!
Thank you so much!!! We love finding creative and fun ways to learn!!! 😃
What an amazing little garden, and it is growing quickly! Great job with this project!
Yes it is really growing quickly, we are pretty amazed by it! Thank you!! 😊
Looking so fun! I wish I had it myself :))
Must be so exciting to see the sprouts coming out and growing, she must be so proud :)
It is really a lot of fun!!! Lol you can get one too!! 😄 Yes we are amazed at how fast it’s growing, she is so proud! 😊