Bean Sprouts

For W's lesson on Spring and Seasons a month ago she gave each of the kids a bean to put in a baggie with a paper towel and instructions to water it each day until it sprouted.  Well, T and I put his bean by the kitchen window and faithfully kept it watered, but nothing happened!  I almost chalked it up to my severe brown thumb when one day, a few weeks later, we noticed that our bean had sprouted!!  We were very excited and continued watching it's progress over the next few days when one morning we woke up to see this...

This gigantic bean had grown so much that is was escaping from it's baggie!  We finally took it out and planted it in a little pot.

A few days later it looks like this!  We might need a bigger pot...

Did anyone else have success with their beans?

Spring/Seasons

W gave a great lesson last Tuesday on the Seasons and Spring. 

Gathering Activity- The gathering activity was scissor practice.  Each kid got to trace their closed hand then cut it out with scissors (3 times to make 3 petals).  They then glued those on a blue paper with the stem and leaves they got to cut out.  It was really cute and those little boys concentrate so hard trying to cut on the lines!  They put their finished flowers in their binders.

Circle Time- She then had the kids do the pledge and weather wheel.  They took turns holding pictures of the four different seasons and learned the number 4.  They learned about the letter Q and talked about how Winter changes "Quickly" into Spring.  They also learned about the diamond shape and how a kite can be in the shape of a diamond.

Color Experiment- The kids then gathered in the kitchen while W did a color experiment with them.  Each boy chose a favorite color and they turned water that color in a baby food jar.  W then told them how if you make the color a lighter version it is called pastel.  She then added liquid dish soap to each color and the boys watched the bright colors change to a pastel color.  They then colored two eggs- one with pastel colors and the other with bright colors. 

Spring Planting- W then showed the boys some flowers that she needed to plant outside.  She cut off the stems then took all the boys outside and each one got a turn to pick a bulb, dig a hole in the dirt, and plant the bulb.  After each boy planted a bulb they took turns using the watering can to water the bulbs. 

 T planting his bulb.

J planting his bulb.

G digging up the dirt.

E watering the flowers.

Spring-time Walk- We then all went on a walk around the neighborhood looking for signs of Spring.  The boys all did pretty well and were good at listening when they were asked to wait.  J was really good at spotting the buds on the trees.  We also saw a few flowers on our walk.  We ended up back at W's house and looked at the blossoms just starting on her tree and talked about and sang "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" and how the blossoms look like popcorn. 

Snack- We then had popcorn and apples for snack.  While the boys were eating W read A Seed Grows to them. 

Seed Growing-  All the boys got to put a bean into a baggie with a paper towel and water to take home and watch it sprout.