Is it the beginning of SPRING where you are ???
Are you ready to start planning your Garden with your kinders? How about a little shin-dig to get into the spring fun?
This weekend we had our first Seed planting party!
It was probably one of the most FUN days we have had this year!
I set up different stations around the yard. We had 22 kids, and rotated our activities.
Come see what we did!
Each Child brought a Clay pot to paint, and some seeds to share!
I repurposed coffee tables and already had a small picnic table to use for the kinders.
PAINTING STATION
I had some old boards in the garage that I painted the different Station signs on. Easy - peezy! Ad some old sheets for the table, fresh garden flowers and pinnwheels....and you are set!
I set out aprons for all the kids, since this paint was not washable... (probably should have told the mommies that! =( oops.)
And our first part of the day was painting!
Look at how adorable they are!
KT was so proud of her butterfly Flower pot. =)
My son's hands after a good hour of painting his! This is huge for my anti-messy child! He had the BEST time! He decided to be creative and use his fingers as his brush like some of the other kids!
GARDEN MARKERS STATION
Our next station was Making GARDEN MARKERS for our seeds! I set up tons of popsicle sticks, markers, crayons, paper, scissors, glue, tape, and tons of stickers...Once they choose their seeds, they worked on these...
They all made some GREAT markers!
Time for Snack!!!!
Our next station was the REFRESHMENT Section.
I made this little table from 2 chairs and a board...it was the perfect height for the Kids, and worked in a pinch!
We served Water! =) Perfect, no mess drink, and everyone likes it!
All the families brought a snack to share, and we made these adorable little Dirt Cakes!!! I bought mini flower pots, (50 cents each) felt flower decor,(pack for $2) and gummie worms.
Aren't they adorable? I just used plain vanilla pudding and ground up oreo cookies since it was easier than the actual dirt cake recipe. =)
Our next station was the DIRT station!
Time to fill our pots!
We also had families bring Egg cartons to fill as well.... Each Child recieved their own shovel, and were able to take it home as a party favor. (only 30 cents each at the german toy store!)
Next, onto the SEED PLANTING station!
Here, we set up a table for the Children to work out, and plant the seeds.
I laminated the seed growing process and placed it on our seed table.
If you do this, make sure you have the kids put the seeds back in their envelopes, otherwise you won't know which seeds are which, and it will be a "Mystery Garden" =)
How cute did they turn out????!!!
Next the WATERING Station!
Children took their finished potted seeds to the watering station and lightly watered their garden. Also available for free play!
I hung simple pendant banners around the yard.....
The next station was a SENSORY Box!
This was a HUGE hit!
Daddy built these for me before he left. I wanted 2, and I wanted them big enough for at least 4 kids to play around them at a time. They are simple to make.
We use them for all sorts of Themed activities for the kids.
This one I filled with 8 packs of black beans, and 1 pack of brown peans, plastic bugs, butterflys, fake flowers, flower pots, and 3 little square grass decorations.
The KIDS loved it!!!
There were a few who only wanted to play with this most of the time... Thanks Daddy!
This was a great size for them! I also set it on top of two old vintage drawers I had laying in the garage to raise it off the ground a bit...
I laid out a few quilts to sit on, and some stories for the younger ones and the mamas....
With so many families coming, I knew i wasn't going to have enough lawn chairs, so laying out blankets was a great way to seat everyone, encourage relaxing, as well as cost effective! =)
I also set up a little table with a sequencing game of HOW DO PLANTS GROW?.. I used a cookie sheet, and magnets for this, and it kept the wind from blowing the pieces away!
I laminted the HOW DO PLANTS GROW book, and placed it outside with the game, And one of the Mama's read this to the kids before they headed over to the planting table!
What happens when you are all done planting and you have dirt and water left??????????
That's right, TONS OF FUN!!!!!!
You wouldn't believe how much fun the kinders had playing in the mud!
Mud PIES!
I have NEVER seen my children this dirty. =) And to my surprise how much FUN they had being dirty!
The dirt pile is going to STAY!.
P.S. . KT's pants had flowers on them, they are NOT black....=) see her now!
Something else I did, was take a few seeds to examine the differant sizes ... an Avocado Pit, an acorn, and asked the kinders to GUESS what it was...
Counting FUN!
I have a boxes of little wooden counters of all kinds of shapes, and things from a local craft shop. They are very inexpensive ($1-2 pack of 10)
I wanted to have a display on the table of the differant parts of a LIVE plant the kids could look at and touch. .. Roots, leaves, flowers, stems, ... Great hands on for the kinders... NEXT time! =)
STATION: SHOWER TIME!!!!!
Tiny little Toes Had fun here today....
What a totally FUN Day!
Thanks everyone for coming and sharing with us!!!
And this is where we will transfer our new seedlings when the weather is right..... our square foot garden....
The Kinders and I are heading to Asia in a few days to visit this guy! Remember he left last spring, and came home in November, and then trotted off to another part of the world for a YEAR? Well, we are SO blessed to take a month to be a FAMILY again... =) The Lord has worked out every detail and we are so thankful.
I will be sharing Next week on our CRAFT room! Woo Hoo!!! (after the jet lag! )
Thanks for visiting!
Now, Go Have a PARTY!!!
Helpful links:
And here are some other great GARDEN Ideas for your little ones!
Garden Preschool Pack- from Homeschool Creations
Printable Veggie Seed Packets from Mama Jenn
Growing Ideas from Mama Jenn
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