If you are a regular here, you know we love nature and getting outside! I am excited to be joining 25 other bloggers as part of The ABCs of Nature series. Z is one of the hardest letters to find something for, so I thought it would be fun to share our fun activity for planting wild flowers with kids.
When I first found out about this series, I was so excited to do a Nature Scavenger Hunt with the boys and highlight all the hard letters to find. We had the perfect opportunity to begin when we went on our summer vacation to Arkansas. We gathered grasshoppers, snails, spiders and so much more. The only problem was when we returned home (the a BIG CITY) we got busy and haven’t made it out to the forest preserves since. That meant I needed to search my archives to share a fun activity that went well with the letter Z! That’s when I remembered how we planted Zinnias and other wild flowers earlier this year and LOVED it!
We were knee-deep in our Lorax unit, when the boys decided they wanted to plant their very own “Truffala trees“. We all agreed that Zinnias, Asters, and Marigolds would make the perfect Truffala forest. We had all seen how to plant in eggshells and thought this would be the perfect chance to try it out!
Setup is Super Simple!
Empty Egg Carton
Potting Soil
Saved Egg Shells (I tapped the top off each one)
Wild Flower Seeds
Before we got started with our planting we did some seed explorations, observational drawings, and sorting. By the time we got to the planting portion of the activity, the boys knew all about these three wild flowers.
Using a spoon, we scooped and filled the egg shells about halfway with the potting soil. This was great fine motor practice for the boys and helped with their focus and attention to detail.
Next, we placed 3-4 seeds in each egg shell. We made sure we labeled the top of our egg carton so we knew which ones we planted for later observations. Once again, planting the seeds was wonderful fine motor practice!
Last, but not least, we watered our eggs. We made two different egg cartons full of flowers and tested what would happen if we left one open and one closed. It was a fabulous experiment and we had so much fun!
More Nature Resources
Ultimate Guide to the Lorax | Lemon Lime Adventures
11 Darling Egg Shell Gardens | Babble
How to Plant Seeds with Kids | Nurturestore
Follow Dayna :: Lemon Lime Adventures’s board For the Love of Nature on Pinterest.
More from ABCs of Nature
26 Letters, 26 ideas for learning through nature! Be sure to click through to find an idea for every letter of the alphabet. You will find sensory, fine motor, science, language arts, math, and free printables that you won’t want to miss!
Do you have a favorite nature activity? I’d love to hear all about it! Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribe by email. I can’t wait to hear your ideas.
photo credit: zizzybaloobah via photopin cc
Zinnias are such pretty flowers! I think I need some for my garden : ) Thanks for sharing a new way to start seedlings– we haven’t done it in eggshells before, but I think my kiddos would enjoy the process for sure!
Thank you for hosting this series. It is such a wonderful resource!