seeds collected from lunch
One thing we like to do around here is plant seeds that we’ve found in our food. Pretty much any fruit seed is in play. What’s nice about this activity is that it really closes the food chain for my kids. They see the seeds from catalogues that we plant and how they grow into plants, but it’s a little rarer to actually take something you are eating and see how that cycles back again. You know, circle of life and all that. Without the lions killing gazelles and all.
The best part is the seeds don’t even have to grow. They are probably engineered not to grow anyway– I’m sure Monsanto is somehow responsible. But the fun of it is really just in taking something you just pulled out of your lunch and planting it in the ground. Anyway, it’s good for a 30 minute activity after lunch.
The 3 year old gets serious, wearing his gloves and double fisting the tools. This day we planted tangerine seeds. I usually have an empty pot or two sitting around, so we use those since they are easy to dig in and the kids don’t have to kneel down. But you can plant them right in the ground in your garden, pretty much anywhere.
After the planting, of course, there is the watering.
I haven’t yet done the avocado thing that my mom did when I was a kid– did you ever do that? The avocado pit with the toothpicks in it, sitting in water and growing roots? I’m not sure why my mom ever did that, because I can’t remember ever being a part of it, and I can’t remember ever getting an avocado tree out of it. I’ll have to do some research on that one and get back to ya.
Have a great weekend!
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This is a great idea. I bet that many many things will grow out there, too. And I DO remember doing the avocado pit thing and growing very handsome roots. For some reason I don’t think we actually planted it in the ground though.
I totally remember doing that avocado toothpick trick at school. My old neighbors did one about seven years ago and it has since become a large plant but the avocado tree stage seems years away still.