Starting Seeds Indoors

[ebhappydc]

Doing lots of spring themes now and I thought would be nice for the kids to see seeds sprouting indoors, grass, flowers, bean pods... Has anyone done seeds inside with their daycare and how did u go about it? Ice cube trays for the soil and seeds on a cookie sheet? Guess I'd have to place it up high while they grow. TX!

[Lee-Bee]

My kids are 2-2.5yrs. I plan to do veggies with them outside, but not from seed. Indoors I plan to have them 'plant' beans in papertowel in clear bottles so they can watch them sprout. This seemed like the best approach for us this year.

[monkeys]

I have used pop bottles and placed the seeds against the inner wall of the bottle. This way the kids can see the seed begin to sprout and grow. I keep the bottles up on the counter, the kids can see them, but can't touch them.

The egg cartons work good, the kids can make faces on the cups, before planting the seeds. Use grass seed and the heads will grow hair.

Sunflowers are popular, especially if you or the kids plant them outside afterward.

The kids help plant part of my vegetable garden each year. We grow carrots, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach and sunflowers. This year we will also be trying corn.

Pinterest has some really good ideas.

[CrazyEight]

We did this last year, and I'm planning on doing it again with some modifications. Last year we saved up individual yogurt cups to start the seeds in, and I had rows of them on cookie sheets on the floor in front of my sliding glass door. It's in the living room, where the kids aren't allowed to go, so it was a big treat to go in once or twice a day to spray them with water bottles. After the seedlings got big enough, we transplanted them into large containers on my balcony. I had them spend a couple afternoons collecting rocks from the front yard and sidewalk to put in the bottom of the containers - that went over really well!

This year I don't think I'm going to do as much from seed. I'll probably buy some seedlings from the farmer's market in a few weeks. We'll do some flower seeds though, probably in small clay pots from the dollar store so they can take them home.

I saw an idea floating around pinterest about using ice cream cones to start seeds in - much better than my yogurt cups from last year, because I lost a couple seedlings transplanting them.

I'm planning on doing cucumbers from seed, a couple tomato and pepper plants from seedlings, some herbs, lettuce, maybe mini-watermelons, strawberries, and some flowers. Maybe some green onions too.

[bright sparks]

Seeds are such a lot of hard work.....obviously good lessons for kids to learn, but I will hold my hands up and say, it would be a massive disappointment to the kids when the seeds don't evolve, or die, which with my track record is almost certain lol I can more than take care of a child, but seeds and house plants...not really my forte lolol I just get busy, forget about them etc etc. Best I can do is the grass heads. A stocking or tight with seeds in the bottom and then either dirt or even just cotton wool or newspaper added and then tied in a knot and placed in a cup of water. We add googly eyes and nose and mouth and then watch the hair grow. The kids love it, and apparently googly eyes offers me incentive to take better care haha

I buy seedlings for my veggie garden and depending on the ages of the kids, they can plant them with me when it comes time. Last year there was just one guy turning 3 and the rest were only a year or so and really were not able to stay on task for even a moment long enough to put the seedling into the whole, or even follow instruction.

This years veggie patch is going to be considerably bigger and my hubby is building a pergola kind of deal with benches to sit on and also a work table. Hopefully this year there will be more opportunities that I can use as teachable moments in the veggie garden but no seeds in our house that's for sure. I have plans for a veggie patch versus just a "patch"

Last year I grew collard greens, zucchini, tomatoes, hot peppers and broccoli. This year I'm going to try and grow my staples, so onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, tomatoes and spinach are a definite. Maybe some green beans to given the pergola will be multi functional for climbing veggies.

[Daycarefriend]

Yes, we did seeds. I bought a few sturdy trays, 5 pots per tray. We planted after Easter and they are already sprouting. We will plant them in the garden in May.

[Tangerine]

We do some kind of seeds/planting every year either at the start of Spring or for Earth Day. I have had mixed luck with different flowers and vegetables. The most success we have had is with beans that we start off by germinating in a plastic bag taped to my window. The kids love this as they can clearly see the bean start to sprout. Once they are growing nicely we transplant to small pots and I send them home shortly after. The last time we did this my own children actually did get beans to eat.
Here is a link:
http://www.saps.org.uk/primary/teach...-a-plastic-bag