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Nature Buddies

Invite a "pet rock" and a "plant pal" into your home.

Materials

  • Rock
  • Paint or collage materials (felt, yarn, googly eyes, et cetera)
  • Paper or plastic cup
  • Grass seed
  • Soil
  • Plastic wrap
  • Paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Crayons or markers
  • Water spray bottle

Directions
1. Go on a nature treasure hunt with your child, searching for a perfect pet rock. When you find a nice one, bring it home so your child can paint or decorate it. What is the pet rock's name? Your child may want to build a house or a special bed for the pet rock and attach a sign with the pet rock's name.

2. Pull together supplies to make Plant Pal: a paper or plastic cup, soil, grass seeds (catgrass can be bought in small packets at garden shops and pet stores), and art supplies (paper, scissors, glue, markers or crayons). Let your child decorate the cup with eyes, nose, and mouth (the growing grass will become the Plant Pal's hair). Fill the cup with soil and sprinkle seeds thinly on top. Press the seeds gently into the soil, then water (a water spray bottle works well). Put plastic wrap over the top of the cup, place in a warm spot, and count the days until you see the first sprout (usually 4-7 days). At that point, remove the plastic wrap. Water the Plant Pal as needed, place it in sunlight, and enjoy watching the grass "hair" grow. When the "hair" gets long, use scissors to give it a trim.

Talk About It
Talk with your child about gardening experiences. Has your child ever planted a seed or watched a plant grow? Read a book about growing plants, such as "Flower Garden" by Eve Bunting, "One Bean" by Anne Rockwell, or "Ten Seeds" by Ruth Brown. Encourage your child to pretend to be a growing seed or plant taking root in the soil and growing bigger and stronger as it is nourished by water and sun. You can narrate the process as your child acts it out.

Related Books
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
Ten Seeds by Ruth Brown


Next: On Stage
Back to Activities Index

Age Range: 4-6

Skills/Subjects:

  • Creative Expression
  • Fine Motor
  • Language and Literacy Development
  • Science

Related Episodes: