Our Tiny Tomato Project

My kids LOVE tomatoes - especially my daughter. Grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes. She's been known to take a bite out of a round, juicy tomato just like you would out of an apple! We've tried planting tomatoes in the past. We did a mini-version of the square foot garden thing, but the squirrels ended up enjoying the fruits of our labors more than we did. Grrrr. But this time is going to be different!

I hope.

We decided to try planting cherry and grape tomatoes as our Earth Day project hoping for a quicker turn around time and that we will get to them before the squirrels do.

We scooped.

We planted.

We watered.

The best part? It took less than a half an hour (not counting the quick run to the store) and we didn't have to dig up the yard. Our crazy lab does enough of that already.

Even better? These tomatoes are portable just in case those pesky squirrels come a callin'.

Earth Day Fun for Little Ones

*This was a fun one to write for B Kids this week. My kids and I love Earth Day!

Looking for something special to do with your kiddos to celebrate Earth day? Here are a few activity ideas that will be fun for the whole family!

1)    *Go on a treasure hunt! Talk to your kids about earth’s treasures like trees, flowers, butterflies, animals…and then take a walk in your neighborhood and count all of the “treasures” you can find.  For preschoolers – let them collect a few items like dandelions, rocks, and leaves along the way. 

2)      *Plant a seed. All you need is a foam cup, a bit of potting soil, and a seed.  Help younger kids scoop the dirt into the cup, bury the seed, and pour a little water. Place the cup in a sunny spot and wait for sprouts of green.  Don’t forget to help your little sprout water the seed daily!

3)      *Create an outdoor masterpiece.  Break out the sidewalk chalk and decorate the driveway or sidewalk for all to see! For extra fun, ask your child to lie down  and let you trace his body with the chalk. Then add eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth. A great way to practice body part recognition too!    

                        

4)      *Have a backyard picnic! Make some sandwiches, grab some fruit, and spread out a blanket in your backyard.  Enjoy the fresh air, do a little cloud watching, and throw in some bubble blowing for extra giggles. Ask older toddlers and preschoolers to help clean up the trash and remind them of how important it is to keep our earth clean!

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How does your family celebrate Earth Day?