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Celebrate Spring!

Now that it is officially spring, it’s time to start thinking spring with spring quizzes, crafts, and activities! Winter is over! Winter is over!! Winter is over!!!

• Write a Spring Poem.
• Take the Spring Would You Rather Quiz.
• Take the Spring vs. Fall Would You Rather Quiz.
• Take the Season Personality Quiz to find out which season you are most like.
• Does March go out like a lamb where you live? Answer the March Writing Prompt.
• Make a recycled egg-carton flower. Watch the how-to video.
• Celebrate Earth Day.
• Print these butterfly bookplates and stick them in your favorite books.

Happy spring!

On Friday’s post I gave you some simple ways we can be kind and care for Mother Earth.  Here are a few more.

1. Shred non glossy paper and use it to mulch plants.

2. Make your own non-toxic cleaners.  There are great recipes at: http://www.eartheasy.com

3. Choose containers with 1 or 2  numbers since they are easiest to recycle.

4. Buy a water filter for the faucet or use a filtered pitcher.  Carry a stainless steel or glass bottle with you instead of those plastic bottles that not only cost so much to produce, but clog up landfills as well.   Visit http://www.newwaveenviro.com    or http://www.lifefactory.com

5.  Build a compost bin for you food scraps.  We incorporate the nutrient-rich scraps into the garden beds each spring and have little need to add fertilizer to produce great veggies.

6. Buy produce locally and in season.  Visit   http://www.localharvest.org   to find farmers’ markets and fresh produce in your town.

7. When you mow the lawn, skip bagging and leave clippings on the grass.  It nourishes the soil.

8. Hang clothes to air dry when possible.

Now, I promised you free seeds for attracting butterflies to the garden.  Go to:  http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm   Not only will you bring beauty to your own habitat, but you will be helping an endangered species: THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY, who lays its eggs on the milkweed plant.

Earth Day helps us focus on being kind to our planet.  We often take for granted all the wonders this beautiful place we call home provides.  To honor the earth, on Earth Day, and every day, here are some things you can do:

1.  Recycle EVERYTHING you can.  Find a list at http://www.recyclingcenters.org

2.  Repurpose and find other uses for objects you  used to throw away. One example is to use empty tin cans and jars for pencils or flower vases.  Visit  http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com   to find some great “tin can crafts”.

3.  Instead of the cardboard coffee cup sleeve, check ebay.com for unique and clever cotton and knitted reusable coffee cup sleeves.

4.  Learn how to make yarn from plastic bags (plarn)  at: http://www.wikihow.com

5.  Donate your old electronics by visiting: http://www.pickupplease.org  for details.

6.  When shipping items, use old newspapers for packing instead of Styrofoam peanuts.

7.  Catch rain in buckets to water the garden.

8.  Use bar soap instead of liquid in plastic bottles.

If you’re wondering where you can go to take part in Earth Day events, visit http://www.earthday.org  to find local events in your area as well as volunteer opportunities.  Being a good steward of the earth is important, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t also be fun.  I’ll post more ways to be a friend to the earth on Monday as well as tell you how to get free seeds for plants that attract butterflies to your garden.  Stay tuned.

With spring finally here, and Easter and Passover right around the corner, there are lots of ways to celebrate the season with crafts and egg decorating. Some of the easiest and festive kids crafts can be found on the RED TED ART sight.  There are 40 Easter crafts using eggs, pompom balls, and readily available materials.  http://www.redtedart.com

When I was a kid, we died eggs by dipping them into cups of colored water.  You can still  do that, but now there are many other ways to decorate eggs for the holiday. You can use non-toxic water color paints to create works of art.  Try paint daubers to make dots, Crayola or other non-toxic markers to draw designs. The Red TED sight has many other ideas for egg decorating.  If you wish to try the Polish art of PISANKY egg dying, you can order your own kit from: http://www.chinaberry.com

I decorated this egg at a workshop on how to do PISANKY.

Here’s a unique way to give out chocolate treats for the holiday:  Create egg-shaped baskets out of balloons and dazzle family and friends with your talent.  Check out the how-tos for MAGIC BALLOON TREATS  at: http://www.thewhoot.com.au

Happy Easter and Happy crafting!

I don’t know about you, but after this long and tenacious winter, I look forward to getting outdoors as soon as the weather is warmer.  Most kids love the natural world and what better way to introduce them to the wonders of nature than with a garden. Planting and watching things grow is rewarding, satisfying and good exercise. Don’t know where to begin?  There are many wonderful resources and websites with specific tips and ideas for gardening with children.  Before I list some of these sites, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Keep things simple. You don’t have to dig up your entire yard to reap the benefits of gardening. Start with a small raised bed or a large container or two.

2. Try fast growing crops such as lettuces, chives, radishes, spinach, herbs and the like.

3. Let your kids have a say in what they grow. If you’re trying to encourage them to eat more veggies, let them pick the ones they would like to try. I’ll bet they get excited about tasting them once they see them pop up in the garden.

4. Make weeding and watering part of the daily routine. That way you will keep the unwanted weeds under control and ensure that the seeds get a fair chance at sprouting. Always weed when soil is moist to avoid damaging roots of tender plants.

5. Check out the library for gardening books for beginners and children.            

Make it fun!  See whose seeds sprout first, whose veggies grow fastest, are tallest, etc. When it comes time to harvest, let the kids plan a meal using the fruits – and veggies – they grew.

Here are some great gardening sites to get you started:

Gardening with Children from Earth Easy

Ten Tips on Gardening with Kids from the American Community Gardening Association

Gardening with Children from the BBC  This site tells you how to compost, cultivate earth worms, use beneficial insects for pollination and has many child-friendly activities related to gardening and the outdoors.

 Stimulating Imagination in the Garden from Kids Gardening

My First Garden  from the University of Illinois

Happy Growing – and eating!                               

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of winter and being confined indoors.  Spring  officially begins today and what better way to celebrate than to make something grow.  You can start with a few pots of seedlings on  a sunny windowsill.  Chives, lettuce, spinach, radishes, parsley, or other herbs, all grow fairly quickly and are easy to care for.  Red Ted has some wonderful ideas for spring planting. Try their SEED BOMBS  http://www.redtedart.com/2014/02/12/how-to-make-seed-bombs-recipe/  and GRASS HEADS  http://www.redtedart.com/2012/04/04/kids-crafts-grass-heads/    and watch your kids get hooked on making things grow.  http://www.redtedart.com

As I stepped outside this morning, I was greeted by a sure sign of spring:  Daffodils. Check out this photo from one of my flower beds.              Happy Planting and Happy Spring!

• Take the Spring Would You Rather Quiz

Happy spring!

With St. Patrick’s Day arriving next week, why not plan a Green Day and serve green foods, wear as much green as you can and plant some seeds in a pot to get a head start on the growing season. Lettuce, parsley, and chives are all quick sprouters and don’t mind the chilly days of early spring.   While you wait for the lettuce greens to grow, try this recipe for a healthy green salad:

MIXED GREENS SALAD:  1. Wash and pat dry a mix of salad greens such as romaine, spinach, arugula, radicchio, or any combination you like. Now the tasty fun begins.

Add any or all of the following to make a plain salad a satisfying main dish: sliced cucumbers, olives, shredded carrots, dried cherries or cranberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries, or grapes. Add toasted, slivered almonds or walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and grated Parmesan cheese (or any cheese of your choice). If you’re a vegetarian, you can stop here.  

The photo version has a packet of salmon on top. I’ve eaten it with shredded chicken or tuna as well. ANY leftover meat works well.

Sprinkle with your favorite dressing – I used a raspberry balsamic with olive oil – and serve with breadsticks or garlic toast and you will get rave reviews.

Another GREEN food treat that is fun and easy for kids to make is KALE CHIPS.  Check the recipe section of this blog for the recipe.

Stay tuned for some kid-friendly gardening tips to make things turn green in your own backyard.

by OakleyOriginals www.flickr.com

You and your students (or children if you are home schooling) probably have spring fever. Most parts of the country have been experiencing warmer weather, and you probably see some flowers and trees starting to bloom. This might also be the time when you are preparing to take state standardized tests, and spring fever and testing do not go hand-in-hand. So what can you do to buckle down and prepare for tests or finish those last few important units in math and science before it’s time for summer break AND still enjoy the nice weather? If you are at home, how can you keep your children focused when their swing set is calling to them in the backyard? Here are a few ideas:

*Read one of the many books you can find on Amazon (or any online book seller) by just typing in Spring Fever. You will be amazed–and they have books for any age group. Here are a few I found:

*Make a schedule with your child or your students that includes outside time on good-weather days. Show them that if they work hard in the classroom, they will have plenty of time to play outside at recess. Children thrive on schedules.

*Reward good behavior with reading or seat work time outside. This can be challenging if you are a classroom teacher and have a large class, but you know your class and what they can handle. If you have silent reading time every day, talk to your class about having it outside and what type of behavior you expect for this special treat. If you are at home with your children, you can even take your books to the park.

*Plan science units about plant cycles, habitats, the four seasons, and so on during spring. This way, some of your lessons and/or experiments can be conducted outside, and you are still meeting your objectives.

*Open the windows and let in the fresh air!

Talk to your P.E. teachers about physical activities that can be done outside and are still working on some of their objectives for the school year. On days you do not have P.E., take the kids outside at the end of the day and work on these skills. Physical health and development is also an important part of education!

Do you have any ideas to share for spring fever for classroom teachers or homeschoolers?