Winter can be an interesting time in the garden. Though the leaves have fallen and there usually isn't much growing in the garden at this time, it can still be a great time for discovery. One of my favorite discovery activities in the garden or outdoor classroom is making nature bracelets. Each student is given a piece of wide painter’s tape long enough to go around their wrist to form a bracelet. Students can help each other create a bracelet from the tape (sticky side out). Students are then given time to explore the garden area to create their own nature bracelet. It is good practice to use the rule of 10–if there are more than 10 of an object they can pick it; if not, leave for others to enjoy. You may be surprised by all
of the interesting things you will find in the winter.
Each student’s bracelet will be a unique expression of them. Students can share their bracelets and learn to appreciate each other's individuality. Self-awareness is one of the five SEL competencies and is the ability to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. So much of the school day is spent on a set curriculum that does not always allow for uniqueness and individuality–in math there is often one right answer or in ELA students may all be reading the same book. It is important to find activities that allow and encourage self expression.
Teachers can benefit too! I want to share a personal experience I had in the past year. The nature bracelet activity is one I often share in garden workshops. As a virtual workshop date approached, I had planned to make my nature bracelet the night before. The rain derailed my plans and set me behind in the morning. With my stress level up, I hastily wrapped my tape around my wrist and headed into the backyard to quickly grab some nature jewels. Here’s the real jewel: I got so caught up in making my bracelet and discovering things I never knew were in my own backyard that I let myself lose track of time for a bit. Satisfied with my bracelet, I headed back inside and had a moment of self-realization that my stress level was lower and my mindset reframed from just a few minutes connecting with nature.
Building Excitement for the Spring Garden
Hopefully you can continue to find ways to engage students in the garden or nature spaces through the winter (SEL Activities are a great way to do this). However, there are some indoor ways to build excitement for the spring garden and get some of the prep work done in advance, too!
Request seed catalogs and build assignments around what your students are learning. Maybe they could build an order that results in the most seeds or most variety and comes closest to $20. Or calculating how much potential yield could be harvested from ordering a prescribed set of seeds. Could students be given a photo and tasked with writing a description?
Planning the spacing for a garden bed is another great math lesson, or developing a themed garden bed may engage other subjects (Check out our Themed Garden Beds). Use this worksheet to guide your garden planning discussions. Most crop guides offer between row and within row spacing; or if you follow the square foot gardening method, there are alternative spacing parameters.
Make seed mats. Seeds will not germinate unless the light, moisture and temperature conditions are right. The Square Foot Seeds lesson allows you to "plant" your seeds at desired spacing by gluing them to a paper towel. Once the glue is dry, stack the seeded paper towels on a shelf and wait for the right outdoor planting time. Once the conditions are favorable, simply place your seeded paper towels on the soil, cover lightly with loose soil, water and check back regularly for germination. The paper towel will biodegrade and you will have skipped the hassle of handling tiny seeds and
thinning, as is often required when seeds are hand-sown.
Ready-Made Virtual Lessons
Whether it’s COVID closures, snow days, or scheduled e-learning/remote days, we’ve got you covered with ready to deploy,
standards-based virtual lessons. Of course these are great to incorporate in virtual academies, or for homeschool use, as well. Explore the lessons, designed for 1st through 5th grade here.
*These lessons are interactive presentations, designed for delivery as a virtual lesson through Google Slides. You will be prompted to “Save a copy” to your Google Drive. From that point, you can edit the presentation to customize to your needs, or share it directly with your students. Due to the interactive nature of the slides, students should also be instructed to “Save a copy” so that their work will be their own.
**Strawberry DNA Extraction is a video investigation rather than a Google Slides presentation.
New Online Resource
KidsGardening.org has launched the Kids Garden Community, a free online community where those interested in any manner of kids gardening can communicate and network with each other. There are “sub-communities,” a resource library, and upcoming events. It’s a great place to hop on and share challenges and
solutions, ideas and activities.
