This is a great way for kids to work on their listening skills while practicing counting as well as learning cause and effect: plant a seed, grow a flower.
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Materials needed:
- Colored Paper
- Popsicle Sticks
- “Garden” container (or two plastic cups)
- Glue and/or tape
- Rice/Sand/Lentils, etc.
- Big Seeds or beans for “planting”
Using the colored paper create ten flowers. Â Number each flower and attach it to the top of a popsicle stick. Â Create a divided garden so that one side is filled with sand/rice/lentils to hold up the flowers and the other side is bare so you can hear seeds drop. Â You could also use two plastic cups (one empty and one partially filled with rice). Â Involve your child in whichever parts of the crafting process are appropriate.
Related: DIY Concrete Stepping Stones For Your Garden
Learning opportunities:
There are many ways to play with this garden. Â Children can practice basic math skills as well as listening and taking turns depending on how you play. Â The ideas are listed from most basic to most complicated.
– Plant a seed, grow a flower, plant a seed, grow a flower ¦ repeat.  Adult counts each seed planted and child responds with the number as they plant their flower.  Then child can plant the seeds and the  adult can grow the flowers.
– Adult drops a number of seeds in, one at a time. Â The child should count the number of seed sounds they hear and plant the corresponding number of flowers.
– For number recognition pick one of the flowers e.g. #5 and plant five seeds and then grow the 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 flowers.
– Add two more seeds ¦ now there are 7
– Three flower get picked for a bouquet (or eaten by a cow) ¦ now there are 4
Do you have more ideas or variations of how to play? Â Please leave a comment!!
This activity is part of our plant theme. Â Check us out for more activity ideas.
Love love love this idea! So creative, unique and fun! I am going to pin your link… I know others will enjoy it too!!!!
I’d love for you to come link up at Fun For Kids Friday. Cute and a learning tool to boot!
http://smilemonsters.blogspot.com/2011/01/fun-for-kids-friday.html
Jo @ SmileMonsters
Those are some really cool ideas. I certainly will try using some of these methods to teach my 4 year old 🙂 Thanks.