Growth Greats!

Last Spring, I found an excellent way to record the accomplishments of my 3 year old and 5 year old.
While looking on education.com, a website that provides educational worksheets and activity ideas, I came across the explanation of a "Growth Flower."  From construction paper I made the center and stem of a flower for each of my girls.  Every time they accomplished something new, we'd add a petal to the flower with the accomplishment written on it.

We hung the flowers on the wall as constant reminders of all of the girls' achievements.  They were eager to add new petals to their flowers each time a personal goal was met.  In addition, their self-confidence and pride shined as they showed all that they were capable of doing to interested family members and friends!

With Summer at its end, I thought of a new way to record my girls' new feats.  To coincide with the beautifully colored leaves of Fall, I created the "Growing Tree."  With each new accomplishment a leaf will be added to the branches.

Is there anything better than celebrating the growth of a child?! 

Enjoy watching the self-esteem and smiles of your young ones blossom and grow as you record each milestone.  Not only is this project something for your children/students to get pleasure out of now; a nice little piece of artwork has been created for them to reflect upon and appreciate later in life.

Below are some suggested titles to read with your young ones to accompany and enhance this project.

All By Myself, by Mercer Mayer

The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper

I Believe in You, by Marianne Richmond

I Think, I Am!, by Louise L. Hay and Kristina Tracy

Incredible You!, by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer with Kristina Tracy

On My Way To A Happy Life, by Deepak Chopra with Kristina Tracy

Seeds of Knowledge

Seeds are everywhere!
Everyday, my girls and I encounter seeds.  Yes, we have planted them in our garden and have experienced the joy of watching them grow, Asters - Zucchini.  However, my 5 year old and my 2 year old were quick to point out every seed we came across during each meal of the day:  flax seeds, sesame seeds, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, orange, lemon, kiwi, cucumber, pepper, seeds...the list goes on and on!  So, we decided to collect the seeds we came across until we could fill an old egg carton.  (The girls were amazed to learn that pits, such as in nectarine, avocado, cherry, etc. were seeds as well.)

Once we collected the 12 seeds, we sorted them from biggest to smallest.  Then, the girls examined the seeds under magnifying glasses to better notice each seed's details.  Finally, the girls created a poster drawing each seed as they saw it in relation to the others.

This exercise got them focused on a subject and made them eager to learn more - they wanted to plant each seed to see what would happen next!  While we were collecting the seeds, they had to exercise some patience...it took us a few days to collect 12 seeds.  Also, it sharpened their observation skills; while eating a meal, they would search for seeds among their fruits and vegetables.  In addition, it served as a review for counting, sorting, and making comparisons and contrasts.  Finally, it gave my five year old a chance to act as teacher to my 2 year old!

There are so many other possibilities for learning with this activity.  The seeds could be sorted alphabetically, school aged children could write the name of each seed, and if the seeds are planted students/children could make observations as the seeds grow and sketch what they see on a "growth chart."  

Seeds are not the only option:  you could use rocks, seashells, flowers, bugs, buttons, etc. to accomplish the activity.  It doesn't matter what you use, or exactly how you do it, as long as some seeds of knowledge are getting planted and your young ones are excited about learning!

If you do choose to work with seeds, the following books are great extensions of the topic:

How Groundhog's Garden Grew, by Lynne Cherry

-Squirrel teaches groundhog how to grow and care for his garden through each of the seasons.

The Pea Blossom, by Amy Lowry Poole

-Five peas inside a blossom all what different things.  Follow each pea's unique journey.

Seed by Seed, by Esme Raji Codell

-This book highlights the importance of Johnny Appleseed.

For more book suggestions, check out this blog's "Suggested Reading" list.  

Enjoy learning!