And Then It's Spring!

I don't know about anyone else, but the Paddock's are ready for spring!!!  The maple trees are budding, which means the sap will stop flowing and maple syrup season is about over... but that means that it is officially spring!!  And while we are sad that our time collecting sap and hanging out in the sugar shack is over, we are excited to move onto our next outdoor project and that is our garden.  Last year was our first year gardening and it was amazing- it was like the boys had their own personal snack bar right in their own backyard so they didn't even have to stop playing if they got hungry!  I'm pretty certain that not a single veggie made it onto our dinner table, but watching the boys munch all of the fresh tomatoes, beans and peppers that they grew was an incredible sight!  So to help us transition from maple mode to gardening mode, we're doing some fun preschool activities this week.

We started with one of the boys favorite books- And Then It's Spring written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin Stead.  The illustrator is from Michigan and actually goes to church with Grammy, so the boys have a signed copy which makes it extra special.  After reading, we sat down to explore how seeds grow in the spring.  The boys practiced some handwriting with a G is for Garden worksheet.  It was the first time that they not only used the guided letters to trace, but they also attempted to write the words on a blank set of lines- I'd say it was 50% legible but hey, gotta start somewhere!!  Then we studied germination charts and learned the different stages of seed germination.  I found a fun worksheet where the boys got to color the different stages, then they had to cut them out and put them in order.  Their cutting skills are really improving and they were able to order the stages without even hesitating!  We watched a few time lapse videos of germination and I've got to admit it was pretty cool to see!  Then it was time to explore some pea seeds we bought at the store.  We discussed how they were similar/different to the peas we eat at the table and how we thought they'd grow.  We planted our seeds in coffee filters and plastic baggies and taped them up in the kitchen window so we could see first hand the different stages of germination!

G is for Garden handwriting worksheet

 

Cutting on the lines!

 

Practicing our cutting skills

 

Our science experiment!!