Inch by Inch, Row by Row

A small farmer preparing the soil

Oh my, the weather has had us house bound for a long time! More polar vortex is in the forecast.  Not that I am complaining, it is beautiful and the people of Minnesota embrace activities in all temperatures. However, the children need time to run and play and get snow in their boots. Even a few snowballs in the face from time to time are essential to childhood.

What to do when we are craving the dirt?Make an early spring in your kitchen window. 


I dragged in an old pot from the garage last night and let it thaw by a heat vent. This morning, the littlest who is always up for a project, pulled some bins from the recycling. We had fun stabbing them with a meat thermometer and then picking the pebbles out of the soil. It was not your ideal soil, it was a combinations of tiny pine cones, grass clippings, birch bark, clay, and well, just a bit of soil.  Wet it, and you get mud.
                 
Scientific question of the day, Will basil grown in mud? Hope so!

Inspecting the soil/mud and making sure there is adequate drainage

"Mom, the seeds actually smell like basil!"

Tomorrow morning, I have 24 empty milk cartons waiting for me in the classroom and 24 applesauce cups.  Wheat grass will go in the milk cartons and we'll try basil in the applesauce cups.  The wheat grass grows quick, it is edible, (I actually love it, once you get past the initial taste of someone mowing a lawn in your mouth) kids can trim it with scissors and it will rebound.  Once each child has their crop in full swing I might even offer that they take off shoes and let them have a little moment with their feet on the grass. A little unorthodox teaching, I know. Maybe I won't invite the superintendent in that day. Certainly, memorable as classroom experiences go.

Suddenly afraid that there might actually be a worm somewhere in there.

Planting the crop.

Mashing down the mud with a fork

Proudly awaiting the harvest

Kids love the to watch things grow. We, their parents and teachers love to watch the kids grow. The creativity that comes from helping a child plant a "seed" any kind of seed, literacy, music, mathematical, artistic or scientific is a gift whose wealth cannot be measured.  What seed will you plant today?

Wishing you joyful planting and memorable growing season!