Vegetable Gardens Galore

The first day with a new big kid always makes me conscious of wanting to take pictures to document the Big First Day. Cute New Boy's first day here coincides with the beginning of the vegetable unit we're doing, so there's lots of good stuff to show. We're about a week behind on May curriculum (as usual), but I really just love doing what they're interested in, and if they want to play outside ALL morning and collect bugs and dig in rocks, I'm good with that. We're finally done with the rock unit I think, although I didn't get through all the material. I'm guessing they won't be asked any time soon to take a pop quiz on sedimentary or metamorphic rocks though, and we DID talk about igneous, and fossils, and limestone and granite, and arrowheads.....

So. On to vegetable gardens.

We played outside for about an hour and a half this morning. I'm growing lettuce and strawberries in pots and they've been helping me water them and watch them, so we did a bit of that, and then they ran around like banshees with Kanga while I got some art ready in the house. I went out periodically to see what they were doing and Cute New Boy (who of course needs a Disney name- who does he look like to you?) was SO excited that we were out there for so long. We're routined in terms of we do this, then that, in a predictable pattern, but I rarely watch the clock. Every time I went out he ran over and grinned at me and said, "WE'RE STILL OUTSIDE! STILL!" It made him very happy.


So then when we came in I read them The Surprise Garden by Zoe Hall and we talked about seeds and gardens, and then we made a mural of our own garden to hang on the wall.


The finished product-apple trees, watermelons, carrots, strawberries, sunflowers, peas, green beans, cauliflower, and some "big ones" and "long ones" that I couldn't get a clear ID on, but that pleased the artists immensely. :)

And then of course we had to have salad bar for lunch. Most of them did pretty well and ate at least one thing. I had hit the farmers' market earlier in the week so we had lots of colorful choices.

Everybody got to pick their own veggies and add meat and cheese. Good stuff.