April is National Garden Month! And, toddlers have a great deal of natural curiosity, making gardens the perfect place to let them roam. Take advantage of this month and let them use their five senses to explore the wonders of spring and grow plants with their own hands. They will benefit in many ways as they get involved with these activities that can help them build vocabulary and strengthen their language skills, eye-hand coordination and motor skills.

Create a Nature Walk Scrapbook
Take a nature walk to look for signs of spring! This can be done during a stroll around the neighborhood or in own our city’s parks! Don’t forget to bring your camera and take lots of photos of you and your child. Print them out and make a scrapbook. Let your child help in choosing the photos and decorating the pages. Include quotes from your child that make you laugh.

Grow Grass Hair
Sprinkle some grass seeds in the toe portion of a stocking. Add potting soil to make it the size of a ball that can fit a Styrofoam cup or yogurt container. Tie a knot at the end, and turn it upside down before putting it in the cup or container. Water it and watch it grow. Don’t forget to trim it!

Grow Your Own Grass
Fill a small container with potting soil before sprinkling grass seeds. Gently cover the seeds with soil, and spray with water until moist. Let your child spray the soil with water every other day. Expect to see growth within a week.

Magic Flower
Trim off the bottom of any white flower. Add 10 drops of yellow food coloring to a clear bottle of water. Ask your child to predict what will happen before adding the same amount of blue food coloring to the bottle of water. Place the white flower in the green-colored water. Check every few hours to see how the petals are changing color. Talk about how the colored water is absorbed through the stem and travels up to the petals. Plants need water to grow!

Sprouting Seeds
Fill a clear plastic cup with wet potting soil before pushing seeds into the sides. The children will be able to see the roots and stem from the outside of the cup as each seed sprouts. Try planting basil, bean, bell pepper, strawberry or sunflower seeds for faster germination.

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By: Jeannie Chan, Teacher at Early Learning Foundations Preschool
For more than 16 years, Jeannie has brought energy and an enthusiastic spirit to her teaching style. Having worked with over 3,000 children of different strengths, learning styles, backgrounds, personalities and interests, Jeannie helps nurture young children to feel safe and confident in exploring the world and new learning experiences. Jeannie is fluent in Mandarin and is currently working on a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Hunter College CUNY.  She loves spending time with her husband and son, playing jacks (she is REALLY good) and watching fairy tales with a big box of tissues.

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