Topic

Pots of seeds

What Stimulates: Awe and wonder, curiosity, mindfulness, questioning

Preparation and materials:

  • Recyclable pots or packaging
  • Space in the garden, door or on the windowsill for your vase
  • A few different types of seeds, grains or seedlings of flowers or vegetables, such as lettuce for example.
  • Soil
  • Container with water

Recommended ages:

  • 3-5 years
  • 5-8 years

Why is this activity important?

The sense of taking care of all living things is part of spirituality and children are improving this care relationship. Planting a seed and caring for it develops children's respect and admiration for life beyond their own, for their relationship with nature and roots them in their sense of belonging to the universe. By giving seed, children learn about what other living things need to survive and thrive, encouraging conversation about what we need as human beings and what we need to do to care for living things. This dialogue supports a child's sense of gratitude by providing opportunities for them to think about what we and other living beings need to live. In addition, experiencing nature is calming for children and reduces stress levels, which helps them deal with difficult moments and/or emotions throughout their own lives.

How you can do it:

FOR AGES 3-5 AND 5-8 YEARS:

1 - With your child, prepare all the materials needed for the activity. Talk about the kind of seeds or seedlings you are going to plant and what kind of flower/fruit/grain it can produce.

2 - Invite your child to fill the pitcher or pot 3/4 of the way with soil and gently pad it. Plant the seed or seedling. Arrange it, water it and leave it outdoors or on the windowsill where there is sunlight.

3 - Encourage your child to check the plant every day and notice the differences. Watch together. Talk about what you think might be going on inside, what it looks like, and any animals that have come to visit the growing plant. For younger children, you can ask:

  • How long did it take to see the seed grow?
  • What did the plant need to grow?
  • What can happen if we don't take care of the plant?
  • How do you feel when you see the bud coming out of the ground?

For older children, you can create space for the child to think about the interconnectedness and interdependence of life, as well as our responsibility to care for nature. You can also ask:

  • What does a plant need to grow?
  • Are there places where plants do not or cannot grow? Because?
  • How can we help more plants grow? Can we take more responsibility for helping them grow?

4 - As time passes and together you watch the plant grow, consider writing it down in your notebook or on paper, either drawing or writing down the changes you see and how those changes make you feel.


Keep in mind:

If you have more than one child at home, this activity is easily adapted for children of different ages, including children under 3 years old. Each child will have their own way of participating, and by participating they are absorbing everyone's forms of care and love for the plant. The conversation that follows exposes the child to dialogue and expressions around emotions, values or respect, empathy and gratitude. As they grow and participate, they learn more and more how to care for a plant to water, how to work with the soil, clean the leaves, etc.

 

Tip on how to do this group activity:

Prepare for this activity in advance by gathering materials for each child (or pairs). Share that together you will grow seeds or seedlings, but first you need to find out what a plant needs to grow. Take a walk outside, watch a nature video, or invite a neighbor who can share basic plant details to share their knowledge with the group. Discuss what plants need to grow and, if appropriate, a plant's growth cycle. Create a list together of how to grow a seed/sapling. In pairs or individually, depending on the size of the group, take the opportunity to plant seeds/seedlings together. If the kids take the plants home, it's best to have one each. Once they are planted, you can talk about what they hope will happen to the plants and how everyone's dedication and cooperation will be important for a good cultivation and harvest.

Tip:

Separating recyclable materials to create something is a sustainable attitude and a great example. With these materials they can, for example, create pots together for planting a vegetable garden. In addition to promoting child development and strengthening bonds, it will be encouraging the cultivation of home gardens and healthy eating. Learn more at e-Food.

They can also build toys together and, with supervision, let children choose what to create and how to create their toys.

Follow the topics Making dolls, carts, furniture, Making Musical Instruments and Suggestions for making blocks. At e-Toys and Play you have these and many other play tips!

Activity: Pot of Seeds

The contact with nature in these activities gives children the very real experience of the effort it takes to care for another living being. It offers the possibility to have a conversation about how living things grow or change over time, and how no one makes it happen, but it happens independently of human action - this could open up a conversation about the existence of a higher power. This can be a very simple conversation where the idea is introduced and left for the kids to do as they please. The experience they have will contribute to deeper introspection when the time is right.

Children are given a chance to think about their own growth and the things that happen within them - how the life they lead affects their growth (this may not be something talked about openly, but these activities can initiate the possibility of this thought process).


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