Magic and Mayhem

ARG! I just spent an hour gathering all my links and plans for the week, clicked on publish, and had the site go down as it was sending. When it came back some minutes later, only half of my original draft and the links remained. I’m going to try to remember the searches and sites and ideas all over. Very big heavy sigh.

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Just planning for a spring theme next week and thought I’d brainstorm here.

• Make a seed viewer.
• Read Eric Carle’s “The Tiny Seed.”
• Make baby food jar gardens.
• Have the kids sing this song and videotape it.

Up Pop the Flowers!
(Tune of “Pop! Goes the Weasel”)

We plant some seeds into the dirt. (Pretend to plant seeds)
The rain falls down in showers. (Raise arms; the wiggle fingers downward)
The sun comes out, and what do you know? (Children squat down)
UP pop the flowers! (Pop up)

• Make flower masks.
• Make paper seed tapes to get ready for our garden.
• Copywork: Have the kids nicely print and illustrate–

“A little Madness in the Spring

Is wholesome even for the King.“

– Emily Dickinson

• Math– have the kids compare seed packets and see when we should be able to harvest different veggies based on a May 1 planting date. Also look at seed spacing and see how many plants we could have based on our size of garden.
• Mix tempera paint with dish soap and have the kids press their painted hands on the windows in a row to make tulips. Add green stems and leaves.
• Make balloon planters:

Balloon Plants

Materials:
1 balloon
1/2 cup of dirt
1/4 cup of water
radish or pea Seeds
funnel

Instructions:
Take the balloon and holding it by the neck use a funnel to slowly push the dirt into the balloon, then add the water and the seeds.

Nip the neck of the balloon and clean off the opening so that you can blow it up.

Very carefully blow up the balloon till it is full size then tie off the neck and secure.

Hang your balloon plant in a window sill and it will start growing.

Make sure you DO NOT use potting mix as this is toxic to inhale.

• Penmanship/spelling– have the girls write a page about what they like about spring. Jack can list words.
• Each of us volunteer to do 3 spring cleaning jobs around the house.
• Make flower decorations for the window seat
• Help Victoria finish her garden lapbook.
• Get outside! Look for seedlings, use nature journals and play!