Planting in the Classroom!

Hi! It's Carolyn from Kindergarten: Holding Hands and Sticking Together.  This month, I put together some of my favorite planting activities to use in the classroom.  I'm ready for spring- and I'm going to make my own if I have to! Actually, it's been a gorgeous  winter in Upstate NY, so I can't even complain. 


First, this project makes me smile every year.  I like to do this project before St. Patrick's Day.  We usually have Open House around this time, too, which is perfect because parents can take these home after Open House. 

CRAZY HAIR PEOPLE

 We plant our grass seed to make our Crazy Hair People.  I take everyone's picture up close and print them 3X5.  I use two sided tape to stick the pictures onto the styrofoam cups.  The hair usually grows very quickly, which is so much fun.  I have some little tiny rubber bands that the girls love to use to make pony tails.  The boys love to give themselves haircuts.

 This little guy's dad took the time to send me a picture of his first "haircut."  

Here's another fun grass activity!  I saved this picture a long time ago- with no reference to go with it.  If it's your idea, let me know, and I'll gladly add it to this post.  I love the idea.  Even the kids' first initial would be cute.  I'm thinking you could even use Styrofoam meat containers, even though they're thin.  Grass doesn't need too much soil to grow in.  

GRASS LETTERS

LUPINES

I love to introduce my children to Miss Rumphius right before  Earth Day.

This is such a thoughtfully written book that lets children begin thinking of different ways they can make the world more beautiful. After we read the story, I had the children retell it. We talked about the three things Alice wanted to do in her life : 1)  travel to far away places, 2) live by the sea, and 3) make the world more beautiful. We had a great discussion about why it is so important for each of us to do something to make the world more beautiful.  I found some good discussion questions here for the story.  (The questions are written for 8-11 year olds, but some were perfect for 'turn and talks' and class discussions.  I had fun listening to the conversations when the children  did 'turn and talks'.   Kindergarten children are very wise.  

The children were anxious to write about how they could each make the world more beautiful. I loved some of the answers!

  (Hunter LOVES the color melon pink- so he is going to paint all the roads! :)

 And finally...  How could that smile not make the world a better place? 

Next we decorated our planting cups with lupines.  I showed them how to make one dot, then two, three, four, and five.

Then, we planted our seeds!

We also made a poster for our room to help us remember what we need to do!

The timing of our Miss Rumphius Day could not have been more perfect this year. The very next day, my dear friend from Texas sent me these pictures... having no idea of her perfect timing!

Where I live,  lupines will grow if I am very attentive to them and baby them, but my friend Betty is surrounded in Texas with GLORIOUS Texas BlueBonnets! 

FORGET-ME-NOTS

Last year, we planted forget-me-not seeds for Grandparent's Day.  We decorated the cups that we planted in by drawing on forget-me-not flowers with Sharpies. We also made cards that said, "Forget-me-nots for unforgettable grandparents!"  to go with the plants.

MORNING GLORIES

I wrote a post at my blog all about growing morning glories in my classroom!  Just click on the picture below if you'd like to see what I do with morning glories.  I absolutely love growing them in the classroom. 

BEANS

I also wrote a post HERE about Jack and the Beanstalk, and all the different activities I do with that story.  We have so much fun with Jack and the Beanstalk!  The kids love growing the beans!

SUNFLOWERS

At the end of the year, as my sweet class is getting ready to think ahead to first grade, I like to plant sunflower seeds with them.  We talk about the fact that when their flower is grown and blooming, they will be ready for first grade and a brand new year of school.

This is a cute story we read to go along with our planting. 

I wrote this poem to go along with their plantings.  

AMARYLLIS

Finally, in the winter, I love to plant an amaryllis bulb in the classroom.  You can get them for about $5 at Walmart or different stores.  They are so easy to plant- and great for measuring, because they grow so fast. The kids can take a measurement each day and see what happens.  Plus, it brings a little joy to the room in the cold, gray winter.

We have lots of fun and do lots of learning with the amaryllis.

This isn't my amaryllis, but I couldn't find the pictures I took of mine.  Mine looked just like this one.  They are no-fail, and always so gorgeous!

I hope you found some fun ideas to use in your classroom!  Thank you for stopping by!

March! A Celebration of Reading and all THINGS Seuss!

DR.SEUSS FAVORITES INSPIRE CREATIVITY 

It's getting to be that time of year again. When classrooms and hallways go awash with striped hats and cats! It's time to really finish up your plans for "Read Across America" and all things Seuss. I've gathered up some brand new goodies for your inspiration from my author/illustrator school visits across the country! The images today are from schools in Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New York, AZ and TEXAS! 

How can you possibly go wrong with paper plates, pipe cleaners and torn construction paper. 

Aren't these clever? 

A craftivity to be sure, yet each character has their own unique spin. 

Projects that extend the illustrations of picture books, 

into the lives and on to the bulletin boards of classrooms......... 

are a sure fire way to build enthusiasm for reading! 

Think of all that fine motor development with the tearing of the paper! 

Here's a bright bulletin board celebrating all THINGS Seuss. 

Lucky Mrs. Wishard to have 'only' 18 THINGS to teach. 

You may know that my first full time teaching position in public school was as the art teacher. My heart leaps and dances when I see such work as this composite of free hand drawings below. These clever renditions were created by kindergarten kiddos in my adopted state of Florida! I rejoice at the classroom teacher who values drawing as a foundation skill for young children. This level of work does not emerge from a class over night. This is the result of classroom teacher and students working in concert over many, many weeks to develop skills of observation and interpretation. FIVE STARS!! TEN STARS!!!! KUDOS!!! Winner, winner, Chicken Dinner! It can be done!

Even when given some 'templates' for the famed 

Cat-in-the-Hat 

these littles have obviously been given the lattitude to create their own renditions. 

I don't know if there's anything more exciting that being the author that gets to visit an Elementary School during "Read Across America" week! 

Sunburst Elementary outside of Phoenix was decked out from the first bulletin board to the last! 

These hand painted chairs and stools were stunning! 

Gotta LUV the effort of this classroom door! 

Just makes me smile from ear-to-ear! 

Dr. Seuss: the original motivational guru. 

Look at these two amazing decorated doors, 

courtesy of the teachers at Sunburst Elementary, in the greater Phoenix area, AZ!

So which is your FAVORITE Dr. Seuss Book? 

Last year about this time I had a RoundUP of ideas spotted on my travels. 

There are some real classics in this earlier article. 

{Just click the picture to go back in time.}

Here's a few of my favorite images from that  earlier RoundUP -- in case you don't have time for the extra click. You'll have to go back to see the various 'apples-up-on-top' projects and green eggs. Plus the details surrounding the CLASSIC Lorax decorated classroom door are in the earlier article. 

It has already been two years since I spent time with Crystal Radke, the beloved blogger at "Kreative in Kinder."  We had so much fun together. We were together for our own READING CELEBRATION!

I got to visit her school wearing my unique author-illustrator hat. We gathered all of the Kinder classes and Firsties into their cafeteria for the fun. {Don't tell. A couple of the second grade classes snuck in at the last minute, too!} Here's a couple of glimpses into our shared fun. 

Having a REAL-AUTHOR come to school is a sure fire way to get the students excited about the process of reading and writing! 

We had enough time together to have a BIG ending for our show. I am something of an unusual picture book author and illustrator, as my books are the embodiment of original songs that I have written and recorded. I have turned three of my songs into the traditional picture book format. 

All of my work starts with a song. Lyrics. Singing. This next picture is a capture of the teachers joining me on stage for a spirited rendition of my "Piggy Rap." I think that you can see that the teachers DELIGHTED their students with their enthusiasm. BTW: That's Crystal right in the middle of the picture. 

I received such a delightful surprise from Crystal's students. 

She had them each draw a picture for me. 

Then she bound them all into a book!!! 

The whole thing is a treasure, but this little portrait has captured by heart. 

Under the category of old dogs and new tricks! 

Crystal and her teenagers have taught me MUCH! 

Here is my first, ever fliptogram 'movie' WITH MY SONG! 

If ever you need a pick-me-up, just click for the joy! 

Whew! That was a lot! Wasn't it? I hope that you've found some inspiration. I'd be so grateful for your pin. That's how people 'discover' me! Thanks.