3/11/13

Kid Craft: Plant Markers

This is a super easy craft for the younger gardener that involves making simple (not weather resistant) garden or potted plant markers. You will need: small wooden dowels, toothpicks, or even twigs, a hot glue gun for gluing, and sturdy card stock or index card type paper, as well as markers, paint, pencils, etc, and scissors.
Let the little ones draw whatever plants you are growing in your garden. Look at pictures together of those plants in different stages, sprouts, full grown, and the fruit or vegetable that grows on them (if any). Encourage them to draw whichever bit they want or write the words/ name of the plant on their card. This is great science activity for pre-schoolers as well as a writing and art lesson, and offers practice of fine motor skills (with the scissors and hot glue gun if you let them use it).

After the plants have all been drawn, written, etc, encourage your small one to cut those cards out while the hot glue gun heats up. I do allow my 4yo to use the hot glue gun with supervision- here's a good post from Teacher Tom that inspired me to start letting her try it and she does great :)

I used toothpicks for our plant markers. As you can see, our plants are still sprouting indoors and anything bigger would be overwhelming the space! In any event, hand over the hot glue gun, or glue the small markers yourself- to the sticks. Help your small person identify the sprout that goes with each sign, or let them go willy nilly (ours are all poked into one pot with the Lavender sprouts).

That's it! You've got a great lesson in handwriting, science, and fine motor skills that will keep your little one busy for at least an hour. Now go plant something!


9 comments:

  1. these are so cute would be perfect to do with my niece and nephews they love planting things and doing all arts and craft things

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  2. Just found your blog; this post is great - my little ones just started growing tomatoes and cukes indoors, and these markers would be perfect. Thank you!

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  3. Just found your blog; very cute! My little ones just began growing tomatoes and cukes indoors, and these markers would be perfect. Thank you for the idea!

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  4. i have been wanting to do a garden with my lil one! thanks!

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  5. my girls love to grow veggies and fruits! this is great!

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  6. Thats a great way to get kids growing things!

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  7. I've been looking at painting the trim on our house for quite a while, so I had a lot of failed color option paint chips laying around the house, so last yer we cut those into shape and used them to mark what was wear. It was a nice and colorful option, and Snapdragon enjoyed picking out out the colors for each spot in the garden. This is a cute idea too. Looks like your girl was having fun with it.

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Spill it!