Springtime Balance

"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