Materials
- sweet pea seeds from a packet
- 8 to 10 straight sticks, all 5' to 6' tall
- small shovels
- fertilizer
- twine
What to do
1. On a nice spring day, show the children the materials and then take them outside to a designated area, such as a garden at the preschool. Explain that the children will be planting seeds to make a sweet pea teepee.
2. Place three of the sticks in the ground and tie them together at the top with twine, forming a tripod.
3. Add the other sticks until they all come together at the top. Tie them together.
4. Make sure the sticks are stable enough to support climbing plants. Be sure to leave a "doorway" into the teepee.
5. Help the children prepare the soil around the base of the sticks by adding the right amount of water. Add fertilizer if necessary.
6. Dig small holes and plant the seeds at the base of the sticks.
7. Check the teepee each school day and water as needed.
8. The plants will sprout and begin to climb the sticks. Some of the vines may need to be wrapped around a stick.
9. Within a few weeks, the sweet pea teepee will be a nice place for the children to visit. Once the plants reach the top of the sticks, take a picture of each child in the "doorway" and send these photos home with the children.
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
- Do the children understand how plants grow in soil?
- Are the children all able to participate in this project?
-Shirley Anne Ramaley, Sun City, AZ
Instructions
1. Tape a large sheet of bubble wrap to a table.
2. Invite the children to fingerpaint on the bubble wrap. Talk about its
bumpy texture.
3. After the children have finished painting the bubble wrap, help them
place pieces of paper over their portions of the bubble wrap.
4. Encourage them to rub the sheets of paper gently to make a bubble
wrap print.
