Program for Families
Grow a Family Garden / Crezca un jardín familiar
By Paula Gonzales
Books to Share
How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan
Nam! Nam! Nam! / Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
A Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Zinnia's Flower Garden by Monica Wellington
Books to Show or Booktalk
Grow It, Cook It by Dorling Kindersley Publishing
Kids' Container Gardening: Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out by Cindy Krezel
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace C. Fleming
One Bean by Anne Rockwell
Bulletin Board
A Garden for Sharing
Cover the bulletin board with bright yellow paper. Put information on the board about starting a community garden. Add clip art or photographs of plants and children gardening along with seed packets and pictures of gardening tools. Include the Dewey Decimal number for gardening books. Add promotional flyers on the next garden theme program with the date and time.
Nametag
Butterfly
Give the children butterfly nametags cut from the pattern included at the end of this chapter, or use a butterfly die cut.
Displays
Garden Tools for Family Fun
Cover a table with a bright-colored plastic table cloth. Arrange a watering can, garden gloves, packets of plant seeds, and a sun hat on a table. Add gardening books as well as picture books that have gardening themes for checkout.
Decorations
Attach paper flowers to green and yellow streamers and drape the streamers around a table displaying gardening books. Enchanted Learning, http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/flowers/tissueflower/, provides instructions for simple tissue paper flowers.
Refreshments
Dirt and Worm Cups
Serve this popular and fun snack that kids love to make and eat. Mix prepared chocolate pudding with crushed Oreo cookies. Add gummy worms and serve. See About.com, http://kidscooking.about.com/od/desserts/r/dirt_dessert.htm, for instructions.
Fingerplays
Big Brown Bee
(Traditional)
A big brown bee came out of a barn. (Enclose forefinger in opposite hand)
He carried a can under his arm. (Place hand under your armpit)
And he went "buzz, buzz, buzz." (Pull finger out and draw a circle in the air making a buzzing sound)
La abeja café
(Translation by Paula Gonzales)
Una abeja café grande salió de un granero.
El llevó una lata bajo el brazo.
Y él fue "buzz, buzz, buzz."
Songs
"Garden Grow" and "Potato" on Bon Appetit! by Cathy Fink
Mi tío
(Traditional)
Mi tío, mi tío, llegó de Puerto Rico,
y me trajo un bonito abanico.
Mi tío, mi tío, se fue a tierra extranjera,
y me trajo de vuelta unas lindas tijeras.
Mi tío, mi tío, volvió desde Marruecos,
y me trajo de vuelta unos bonitos suecos.
Mi tío, mi tío, viajó hasta el Japón,
y me trajo de vuelta un jueguito de ping-pong.
Mi tío, mi tío, pasaba por Peking,
y me trajo de vuelta un lindo balancín.
Mi tío, mi tío, paseaba por Perú,
y me trajo de vuelta un amigo que eres tú!
My Uncle
(Translated by Paola Ferate-Soto in Dígame un cuento / Tell Me A Story: Bilingual Library Programs for Children and Families, http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/pubs/bilingual/families/nuestrasfamilias.html.)
My uncle, my uncle just came from Puerto Rico,
and he brought me a very pretty fan.
My uncle, my uncle, left to go overseas,
and he brought back a pretty pair of scissors.
My uncle, my uncle, came back from Morocco,
and on his way back he brought me some great shoes.
My uncle, my uncle, traveled to Japan,
and when he came back he brought a ping pong game.
My uncle, my uncle passed by Peking,
and he brought back a titer tater machine.
My uncle, my uncle, traveled to Peru,
and guess what he brought back: A friend like you!
Dance and Movement Songs
Play "Juanito" on Lirica Infantil Volumen 12 Diez Deditos byJosé-Luis Orozco and follow the instructions for movement. A translation of the song is also available in the book, Diez Deditos Ten Little Fingers & Other Play Rhymes and Action Songs from Latin America by José-Luis Orozco.
Flannel Boards
"The Turnip" in Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra
Puppet Plays
"Jenny and the Bean Sprouts" in One-Person Puppetry Streamlined and Simplified: with 38 Folktale Scripts by Yvonne Amar Frey.
Stories to Tell
"How Do You Feel Today? / ¿Cómo te sientes hoy?" in The Bilingual Book of Rhymes, Songs, Stories, and Fingerplays by Pam Shiller, Rafael Lara-Alecio, and Beverly J. Irby.
"My Grandmother's Garden / El jardin de mi abuela" in The Bilingual Book of Rhymes, Songs, Stories, and Fingerplays by Pam Shiller, Rafael Lara-Alecio, and Beverly J. Irby.
Crafts
Mosaic Planter
Materials
- Styrofoam cups
- Sticky back foam sheets, various colors
- Scissors
Directions
In advance, cut the sticky back foam sheets into 1" x 1" squares. Let the children attach the squares to the outside of the Styrofoam cups to make mosaic planters. If desired, provide potting soil and small plants or seeds to let the children fill their pots.
Games and Activities
Library Garden Activity
Start a library garden by planting herbs. A container herb garden can be fun, healthy and educational and gives kids a sense of pride by witnessing the results. This group project helps young children learn about nutrition and community participation by helping to maintain a garden. Library community members also become supportive by volunteering to maintain the garden as well as reaping the benefits of enjoying fresh free herbs. For more information on starting an herb container garden, go to http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/projects/may04/pg1.html.
Web-Based Activities
Blooming Flowers
http://www.learn4good.com/games/online/blooming_garden_flower_power.htm
This web game encourages children to line up the plants in tidy rows and keep the garden from becoming overgrown.
Urban Program Resource Network
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/worms/
This bilingual interactive activity called "The Adventures of Herman the Worm" teaches children how some insects are vital to a productive garden.
Guest Speakers
Invite a guest from the local Home Depot or garden store to demonstrate how to start a mini herb garden.
Professional Resources
Websites
KidsClick
http://www.kidsclick.org/cgi-bin/searchkids.pl?searchtype=all&keywords=gardening&title=Gardening
This website includes links to a variety of interactive activities related to plant life and gardening for kids.
Kids Gardening
http://www.kidsgardening.com/
This site from the National Gardening Association includes projects and activities for encouraging and teaching about gardening.
Craft Materials
Butterfly Nametag Pattern
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