"Education means developing the mind,
not stuffing the memory."
One of my favorite things about spring is my annual practice of balancing an egg on it's end. I could prove that It really works because I took a picture with my cell phone. The problem is that I don't know how to get it from my cell phone to my computer. If you want to send me your cell phone number, I will send the photo to you. If not, you will just have to believe that it works.
Which brings me to the topic of living a balanced life... hard enough for adults, but today, it is even harder for children. School, homework, sports or clubs, meals and sleep take up much of their day. Phonics and worksheets take much up much of the class time for young children. Preparing for THE TEST takes up much of the time for the older children. So I would like to suggest a springtime activity and poem to lend balance to children's lives.
Plant some seeds: This is the time to buy some packets of seeds
and and get them going inside.
You will need: * Seed packets
* Container to plant them in
(cups, planting trays, peet
pots...)
* Potting soil
* Water
* Sunny spot
* Newspapers
The Process: 1. Spread the newspapers out on
the surface you plan to work on.
2. Place your containers on the
newspaper.
3. Fill the containers with soil.
4. Read the directions on the
back of the seed packet to see
whether to bury or sprinkle the
seeds.
5. Water the seeds and place
the containers in a sunny spot.
6. You might want to label what
you planted using toothpicks and
paper signs.
Keep a "Plant Journal:"
What you need: * A blank notebook
* Pencils, markers, colored
pencils...(choice) * Your
seedlings
* A stamp pad and a date
stamp.(Optional)
The Process: * Day #1 Draw how your
seedlings look just planted.
* Stamp or write the date.
* Decide how often to visit and
record how the seeds look.
(perhaps daily, weekly or every
few days.
* Taking photos is an option to
drawing.
* Predict when your plants will strong enough and the weather
will be warm enough, to
transfer outside.
* You can continue the journal
the summer or just show at the
end.
Poem: "The Garden," by Shel Silverstein
Where The Sidewalk Ends
Children can try planting a jewel or
pennies to see if they can grow a
money tree.
Our plants like our children, will need
"just enough and not too much"
(Caramelo, by Sandra Cisneros)
Here is too balance, for ourselves and our children.
Happy planting!
JD
