Earth-Friendly Projects
I wanted to share with you two Christmas gifts we bought the girls. We were shopping and I was looking for unusual gifts for the kids. I came across the "Live Butterfly Garden" that my 5-year-old has been so terribly excited about every time she saw the TV commercial, for the past 3 years I might add. Well, honestly, I'm always hesitant to order items from commercials fearing it will end up being a huge disappointment once we receive it. However, last year, in pre-K class, the teacher brought one in. We were all in awe seeing the little chrysalides hanging around this contraption. When they hatched, it was even more amazing. Then the children set them free after a few days. Oh, what joy this experience brought to my daughter!
Needless to say, when I saw that butterfly box on that shelf, I had to buy it. Now comes the most difficult part...we have to wait until spring to order those little squirmy, wormy things. It takes up to three weeks for them to arrive and another three weeks for the metamorphosis process to be completed. At least we can plan ahead for our May butterfly project. Waiting 4 months for a 5-year-old is torture. I hope we both survive.
Luckily, my oldest daughter received a gift project we can do NOW without having to send off for anything or waiting for the weather to warm up. What a relief! She is facinated by plants and how the roots sprout from seeds and so on and so forth. In the fall, she was given beans by her teacher. Her beans sprouted and died shortly after. Oh, what a tragic day that was...
When I came across this "Root Viewer," I knew it was meant for her. Today we planted the seeds in the tubes. They are sitting on our kitchen window sill soaking up what little bit of sun rays we get here in the winter. Luckily, my daughter likes to eat vegetables, even the veggies that I have to gag down just for the nutritional value. She can hardly wait to see the roots form and, admittedly, neither can I.
The greatest thing about both of these items, is the simple fact that each can be reused over and over again. Each spring we can order more butterfly larvae and we can plant the seeds all year long. What a great way to introduce science into a child's world and, at the same time, instill respect for nature. I will keep you posted on how our experiments turn out.
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