Seeds, Thneeds, and Planting Things

It's that time of year again! We started our Sunflower Project today, where the kids plant giant sunflowers from seed and chart their growth week by week through the spring and summer in a journal. The last time we did this was 2 years ago, and my daughter was only 3, which is how old my son is now. My, how time flies! (Check it out! Sunflower Project 2010) This year each of the kids have their own tray and their own journals, which I just stapled together with quartered construction paper. The fun begins!




We also did this adorable flower part craft I found on Pinterest. It fit in perfectly with our science book on seeds and plant parts, and I had all the materials on hand, just a coffee filter, muffin cup with raisins for the seeds, a straw for the stem, paper for the leaves and shredded paper for the roots. Simple and so cute!




Another short tie-in we enjoyed today was reading Dr. Seuss' The Lorax again with some quick coloring pages. We did activities from The Homeschool Share's Lorax Unit last month on Dr. Seuss' birthday for the opening day of the new movie, The Lorax, which we went to see in the theater with friends. It was a cute movie. The unit study is definitely worth the download, plus it is free, which is always a bonus! This is a good way to incorporate some activism into your studies and give the kids reason to care about planting things and carrying on the cycles of growth. We touched on this some last year as well, with our Earth Day activities with our homeschool group where we planted trees and visited the recycling center. (Earth Day Tree Plant Post)
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not." -The Lorax

We've been discussing and comparing different types of seeds for several weeks now, as we examine pumpkin seeds, pea pods, flower seeds, etc. and of course, what would a study on seeds be without Eric Carle's The Tiny Seed book? :) It is a favorite in our house. Here's a great set of activities to go with it! The Tiny Seed Activities and also great ideas at Tiny Seed Math Activities for K-1.


Happy Planting!!