Grass heads

Grass heads are so easy to make and fun to watch grow. I have even made them with my secondary age pupils as a science investigation.

The one featured in the blog is a bought one as it was only £1.50 and helped give me ideas for making our own.

So we added the water and placed the rope into the plastic container and rested the grass head on top . Then your set. It took a good week to start showing signes of growth.

How to make your own? 

Well I have made it with stockings, compost, grass seeds, elastic bands and a cup.

The one I have made didn't have any rope just extra stocking as the contact with water. I used elastic bands to pinch bulges for a nose and drew on eyes. The cup I used previously was white, having seen this one I would suggest a transparent cup as seing the roots was a good learning point. I am sure it's fairly easy to add rope and use foam and googley eyes but super glue might be the best option as the grass head absorbs the water.

Learning

Observations

Best growth conditions- dark/light , temp , with/without plant food, water

Measuring grass length

Different stockings investigation

A good idea is to monitor growth by measuring the height of the grass overtime and keeping a diary with sketches or pictures .

Hope this helps.

50 outdoor challenges

My sister-in-law made us this poster and I decided to capture the boys doing the activities on there as a return gift for the future.

We started today, although Dylan 3.6 has already done some of the list, I want them both together.

So we made a den obviously I think the idea is that they make it themselves but that will come with time . Plus a good way to learn is by copying. 

Then I searched for photos for ideas for pretending to fly and stumbled across this article that was in the daily mail with 50 suggested outdoor activities for kids to do before  the age of 12. It was a campaign from the national trust to encourage children to get out and enjoy the outdoors rather than play on computers and watch television.

So our checklist had increased to 50. I will document how we get on with our bucket list.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2129199/National-Trust-campaign-lists-50-things-children-theyre-12-years-old.html

We would love to see your attempts of the list .

Sarah , Dylan and Zac.

O is for Orange

Hi,

The boys and I have been working through a baby sensory a-z and we got to O and decided to do oranges. Then I thought we could start a new series of colour themed days. So this post is about our orange day activities.

What did we have?

Orange toys in an orange basket

Orange food 

Orange craft supplies

Orange coloured and scented cloud dough

Orange foam window letters and objects

What did we do?

We tasted the orange food and talked about the taste and texture 

We played with orange cloud dough

We sorted orange toys

We completed a tally chart of the orange objects

We painted/printed with oranges

We made a collage with orange craft supplies

We did some kitchen science and made orange potions

Looked at an orange sensory bottle

Played I spy

Made music

Here are some of our fantastic pics.

Orange printing with Zac .🍊

Orange collage with Dylan. Zac not very interested.

Orange printing with Dylan 🍊

Playing with craft objects.

Tickling with feathers🐥

More tickling...

Peekaboo with tissue paper

Made a model of an 🍊

Orange cloud dough with orange toys

Burying the toys

Foam letters/objects window fun

Science making orange potions and observing reactions.

We used baking soda, vinegar, orange juice, effervescent vitamin c tablets and flour.

Orange food sensory play

Making jelly

Orange sensory bottle: orange juice, oil, water, orange peel, lentils, orange craft bits.

Orange food sensory play.

We had jelly, cornflakes, smoothie, hooped cereal, sweat potato.

Orange food tasting

Name that food game 

More food tasting

Hand eye coordination squirting baby fruit purée onto a spoon

Orange sensory basket 

We made an activity of collecting the orange toys from around the house.

We sorted the objects into groups and made a tally chart.

I spy the number 3

Made music (noise lol)

Teaching his little brother

Rearranging window letters/objects

Busy day, great fun . Kids loved it and Dylan was even planning which colour to do next. I left the basket still set up and they played for a couple of days wapiti the toys .

Love the orange prints and will probably get it framed for display .

Dylan 3.6 and Zac 10 months