Today’s post is either a cop-out because I want to spend more time outside hiking and gardening or my most important post every, or maybe as little of each. Here’s my plea. Please, please, please grow things with your kids! Growing plants is regenerative for our physical, mental and spiritual health and for our planet! Growing things can be as easy as sprouting mung beans or as complicated as planting your own edible food forest. Here’s an ordered list of suggestions for growing things with your kids and pointers to where you can learn more about each method.
Adopt a plant: Walk around your yard with your child(ren) and pick a plant to adopt. It can be a wild flower, weed or clump of grass. Ask your child to name it. You don’t need to do anything beyond this but checking in on this plant regularly and watching its developmental progression.
Sprout Beans inside: See my homeschool tip titled, The Learning Zone. You can also Google “growing beans sprouts” for additional resources.
Grow food from scraps: See my home school tip of the day titled, Grow Something! I guess this isn’t the first time I’ve made this plea! The basic idea is that there are many plant parts (e.g., the base of a celery stalk) that can regrow just by sticking it in some dirt.
Grow Microgreens inside: This is something I haven’t done yet but will be trying soon. The basic idea is you plant a bunch of herb or greens seeds in an inch of soil in a tray and put them near a south facing window and then eat the seedlings. Here are some good places to start: Grow Microgreens and How to Grow Microgreens.
Grow plants in an indoor grow table: See my homeschooling tip titled: Closing Loops at Home.
Grow plants outside in a sheet mulched, covered raised bed: See my homeschooling tip titled: Sheet Mulching.
OK, time for me to get some seedlings started!