March!

Early spring is a good time to be outdoors, in the mud and rain, looking for buds on trees and bushes.  Birds return from their winter retreats, so be on the lookout for their arrival.  The library has good identification books for birds and plants in your area.  There are lots of science activities to do this month involving planting, measuring and graphing.  Buy a packet of inexpensive seeds at your local store.  Some great kid-friendly plants are snap peas, sunflowers, cherry tomatoes and marigolds.  Basil and other herbs are fun and useful as well!  Use a container of some sort and fill it with soil.  Placing a few rocks on the bottom and poking a couple of holes in the bottom of the container will help with drainage.  Remember to place something underneath the container so that you don’t leave marks on your table or counter top.  Let your child plant the seeds and find a sunny location in which to watch them grow.  Have your child water the plants according to the directions on the packet.  When your seeds begin to sprout, measure their daily growth and make a chart to record your observations.  If you grow plants such as peas or tomatoes, you can transplant them outdoors in May, and continue to record and observe their progress throughout the summer!  Another option is to plant root vegetables, like carrots, onions, radishes, turnips or carrots, in a glass jar.  Fill the bottom quarter of the jar with pebbles, then dirt, and then plant the seeds.  You’ll be able to observe the growth through the glass walls of the jar!  Look for springtime stories, such as Eric Carle’s The Tiny Seed, and Lois Ehlert’s Planting a Rainbow, at your local library.  Your librarian is sure to have others on display as well!