Planting the Seeds

Photosynthesis, transpiration, and germination are a few of the words and concepts the Toddler children have been learning for our January plant study. Children at this age are curious, eager, and sensitive to language, and string the combination of sounds together. Pair this with a very age-appropriate experiment and we have planted the seeds for future learning and imprinting. 
 
The Toddler children partook in a three-stage germination experiment and had a chance to scoop dirt, plant seeds, and say ‘cheese’ for a pot plant photo. Every passer-by delighted in the outcome with a ‘laugh-out-loud.’ The end result was a funny alfalfa hair portrait that you can eat! 

Speaking of eating, did you know you can eat all plant parts? The Toddler children do! We ate carrot roots, celery stems, lettuce leaves, broccoli flowers, orange fruit, and pumpkin seeds! This may not have been a huge culinary hit with the children but introducing whole-food vegetables and fruits to your children is very important at this age. Fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants, fiber, and water. It’s crucial to introduce and keep introducing these foods to your child’s diet from an early age. This teaches them how to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diet and create a healthy balance between different types of food. 

We use various mediums to teach our lessons including songs and music and a video such as this for imprinting concepts like photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert carbon dioxide into food by using the energy derived from the sun. The essential elements of this process are sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and chlorophyll.