Promotes the development of life skills in recycling and growing food.
Materials Needed:
- Plastic bottle for each child – pre-cut the bottom of a plastic bottle. With a nail make 2 or 3 holes at the base of the bottle so the water can drain when you are watering the plant.
- Stickers to decorate
- Soil
- Sprouts/watercress
- Water
What to do:
- Give each child the pre-cut base of the bottle. Provide eyes, pom-pons, moustaches and so on children can choose what to use and how.
- Fill with children the containers with soil almost to the top (one cm. before edge).
- Cover with a layer of sprouts or watercress and do a thin layer of soil.
- You have to keep the soil moist, watering the pots 2 up to 3 times per day (the land must be wet all the time). In a couple of days the plants will start to grow and you will have a “green hair” plant.
Hints and Tips:
- Keep the pots during the on the shelves and involve children in watering them so the grass starts growing and at the end of the week everyone can take home their own pot.
- You can use Basil, Mint or other herbs so the activity can be sensory as well helping in engaging children when the plant will be fully grown.
- You can also consider to regrow celery and lettuce in water or observe the potatoes germinate and then plant them in a bigger bottle (juice or laundry soap bottles).
- The seeds don't need sunlight just a warm environment but once the germination starts it's better consider to move them in a more sunny place or they will stop growing.
