Duration: any
Age: toddler, child, parent
Skill for Bub: Muscle Builder, Hand/eye coordination, Just for fun, Mind Builder
summary:
Plant the seeds to a life-long love of gardening by growing parsley and basil right on your kitchen windowsill.
Is your little one ready for some green thumb fun? Growing an edible mini-garden together is a delightful way to introduce your child to the sights, smells, and tastes of Mother Nature. Here’s what you’ll need to get the magic started:
3 small plastic flower pots
3 small plastic clear cups
Soil (enough to fill the 3 cups)
Parsley and basil seeds
Paper
Crayons
Scotch tape
To Decorate the Flower Pots
- Measure and cut a thin strip of plain paper long enough to wrap around the flower pot.
- Label the paper with the name of the herb, and invite your child to decorate the paper using the crayons.
- Tape the ends of the paper around the pot
To Plant the Herbs
- Make sure that there are holes at the bottom of the flower pots for proper water drainage. If there aren’t, punch holes into the bottom using a hammer and nail.
- Involve your child in filling the pots with soil about ¾ of the way full.
- Invite him to poke his fingers in the soil to create beds for the seeds. Let your child drop the seeds into the holes and fill with additional soil.
- Before you water your plants, stack the plastic cup under the flower pot leaving space for the water to drain.
- Leave your plants on a window sill that gets plenty of sunlight.
- Keep the soil moist, but not soaking.
- Continue the fun by checking back periodically to show the plants’ progress to your child.
