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Teaching Children about Gardening – The Traveling Closet

by Mary Ann on August 1, 2011

little smiling girl with her apple tree craft picture

Maggie learning how apples grow

Peas are for eating and then spitting out if you are 19 months old! It doesn’t take a tractor to till a box garden! Plastic bugs are more interesting than anything else and little boys have a hard time focusing when out of doors. These were the great lessons from today’s Grandma School with the Traveling Closet on teaching children about gardening.

We went to our community garden. It is only a few blocks from home and we walked. Our garden is a box 18inches high and 12X10 feet long. The kids like to go there and help with the watering.

Children love copying our work!

They have been excited to pick the peas and the strawberries. I wanted to talk with them a bit more about growing your own food and show them what was happening in our own garden. (Please note the information for working with older children at the bottom of the page)

Jack is three and all boy! I knew that I needed something to really draw him in so I had a terrific book about large gardens ie. farms and all the machines that it takes to ready the earth, plant and harvest. I asked Jack and Maggie if we needed a tractor to plow our garden. Jack laughed out his “no grandma”. We looked at the tools we use in our box garden and talked about them and what each was for. Then we read our book. After the book we created a tractor out of the letter T.

Maggie's letter T tractor

Unfortunately this is where grandma school began to unravel for Jack. He found a large plastic bug. He was so fascinated with it and kept washing it in a large bucket of water we had there for one of our other activities. Also there is a large pile of dirt by the gardens and it is so alluring to Jack. He kept climbing to the top. Let’s just say that Jack was experiencing being in the garden!

Maggie who is a captive audience and is five was into all of it! She loves learning about everything. We talked about apples and did some apple crafts and activities. They have an apple tree in their yard. Are all apples red? Again Jack laughed out his “no grandma”. We tasted a red apple, a yellow and red apple, a green apple and a yellow apple. They all taste different. Mary made sure her teeth marks were in every one even before we got to that activity.

Learning about apples AND eating them is FUN

We read the book “Apples Here” and then made a hand print apple tree. (See book list below) Our trees didn’t really look like hand prints. Maggie has a hard time straightening out her finger long enough to get paint and then press. Mary was excited and wiggled a lot. Jack, well Jack is a boy with his own mind and he thought prints were lame. He just smeared the paint around in a way that felt very good I am sure. We set them out to dry, washed off the paint in the bucket of water and glued our apples on later.

Painting apple trees

What they were supposed to look like : )

I then read them a book about growing pumpkins. We had been working at a picnic table at the edge of the garden up until now, in the shade. We headed over to our own box garden and I showed them the pumpkins we had growing there. They were very excited because the real plant matched the pictures in the book and the way the pumpkins were forming. I then showed them our honeydew melons which are growing really well and we ate some sliced honey dew I had brought.

Making a seed sprouting jar

We ended by setting up three jars of seeds to sprout – mung beans, alfalfa, and lentils. The idea came from a book for older children which you and your children will love! It gives many, many ideas for children to grow food and flowers in off beat and very interesting ways as well as giving tid bits about successful gardening. Your older children will learn a lot about gardening by reading this book and doing the activities. No actual garden needed!!!

I found some other terrific ideas for older children which I just can’t resist putting here even though we didn’t do them.

Fun and Simple Tractor Crafts for Kids:

Make a moving tractor from a 2 liter bottle

Footprint tractor

Macaroni Tractor (picture only, couldn’t find directions)

Books about Gardening for Children:

Ready Set Grow by Dorling Kindersley

The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons

Apples Here by Will Hubbell

Lilly’s Garden by Debroah Kogan Ray

Fantastic Farm Machines by Chris Peterson

Take a moment and share these fun ideas with other parents by clicking the buttons below : )

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What matters most in life

by Mary Ann on July 29, 2011

Our Soup fog windows

The windows are fog covered from soup steam and the air smells of baking bread. It is cold outside on this wintery Montana day. I hear the children clattering through the gate and up the back steps, coming home from school. “Don’t bang the screen door”.

The kitchen is filled with bodies, wet coats, boots, mittens strewn about. “You guys pick up those coats and hang them up. Put your mittens away.”

What in the world made me think of this most ordinary moment in my past with such an ache? It was the shower. That is where I think, random thoughts about what I need to do, what the day was like, the book I am reading; just random thoughts in the quiet of the late night hours. But tonight I had this thought; this memory and it pierced my heart fiercely. How could such an ordinary memory cause such emotion? Why would I even remember it.

The miraculous ordinariness of everyday moments with children

It is because it wasn’t ordinary, it was miraculous. That is how the moments of our day with our children really are, they are miraculous. We rarely perceive it as so because we are busy taking care of the business at hand. We just don’t see the beauty.

Forty years ago I was twenty one, a new mother starting out. If I live to be one hundred and I think I will, I will live another forty years. Since that day so long ago how many more ordinary, miraculous days have I missed seeing. Was today miraculous? In forty years will I remember it with such happiness and nostalgia as the memory I had today? Have I learned what matters most in life?

That is how it is. We move through life taking care of business. We worry too much. We hug too little, smile not enough and push away joy that we could have. We get confused about what matters most.

Remembering our everyday moments bring the most joy

I have replayed the memory over in my mind a number of times since the shower. It brings me joy and warmth. Maybe that is the state of man, blindness to the magic of the ordinary days and moments. That was the message of Thornton Wilders play “Our Town”; that we miss so much. That we need to look at people, really look at them, really see them.

We should forget about the screen door, the boots and gloves and gather our precious children up and smell their wetness, kiss their cheeks and just be so glad they are home …and ours!

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Working with Special Needs Children

by Mary Ann on July 26, 2011

Maggie experiencing the joy of being a child like any other child!

Every now and then someone will ask me how you can use the Closet with a special needs child. I answer, “The same as with any child”. The five rules apply to everyone and help build good relationships no mater what handicaps we each may have.

The materials for projects that we find in the Closet can benefit every child if we take into consideration their age and abilities and then make the appropriate adjustments.

I am no expert on special needs but I have had my share of opportunities to work with children with special needs and my experience with Maggie last week when we had grandma school, Kids learn about Dogs, put me in a mind to address this issue as best I can.

Playing in the gutter is a rite of passage that every child wants to have

I admit it can be tough working with special needs kids because of issues that they rarely can control. Here is a video of Maggie playing in water. It is a great example of how her mom finds ways to include her in activities that the other children can do and to include her so she is as independent as possible.

Tips for working with special needs children

Special needs kids generally do better with one on one help and that is really true in Maggie’s case. So when you are alone trying to work with 2, 3 or more children it is tough. Get an older child to help you. Invite a neighbor or do what I do, the best that you can!

Special needs children have limited abilities and can’t always do the project in the same way as other children. You have to adjust to their abilities rather than deciding they just can’t do it.

Working with a special needs child can be frustrating because they may have less impulse control, limited speech, underdeveloped motor skills, a limited attention span, blindness, paralysis and any number of other issues. You are the adult, they are the child. Help them in whatever way you can. Every child wants to learn and can learn. Help them to do what they can do. If it gets too hard take a break, give a hug and return to the project when you can. Never give up!

It can wear you out to do what is required to work with a special needs child. But then that can be true with fractious 2 year olds, independent 6 year olds and slightly sullen 12 year olds.
It takes more time to help a special needs child do a project. Mentally prepare for that and don’t let it be a problem for you. It isn’t a problem for them.

All children can and want to learn. Help them reach their full capability.

Let me share some of what I experienced with Maggie last week. Maggie has severe cerebral palsy. It has affected all four limbs but not her mind. So her desire to do what everyone else does is great. She derives immense pleasure from doing things even when she needs a lot of help.

Maggie made her own cookie dog. I helped Jack make his dog first. Maggie kept letting me know she wanted to do it too and I assured her that she was next. I couldn’t help them both at the same time. While Jack began eating his dog I helped Maggie. She can grasp and object but has trouble marinating her hold. So I helped her get a hold of the decorating bag and then I held her hand and the bag. She cannot squeeze so I would say squeeze and then I would squeeze her hand.

Maggie is not bothered by the amount of help she needs

Maggie is just beginning to use her forefinger and thumb to grasp things. Fine motor skills are a challenge for Maggie. I would hold the item she needed, would prompt her to use her thumb and forefinger and then would assist her to take hold. Then I would guide her hand to where ever the item needed to be stuck and then remind her to let go.

She was also able to make most of her rolling dog. I had to manage the legs and spools but I had to do that for Jack also because he is only three. Maggie was very proud of both the cookie dog and her rolling toy. She took especial delight in her ability to bat it from the back all by herself and then watch it roll.

We have a friend with a daughter who has CP and is blind. How would I work with that child? I would tell her what we were making. I would talk a lot telling her everything I was doing as I made the project. I would stroke her cheek and touch her hand with the materials as I explained them to her. When we were done I would let her handle the finished project even if her hands would ruin it. My goal would be to give her as many sensory opportunities as possible to experience the process of creation.

Every little effort is a huge success for Maggie and she is happy about it

I have another friend who is a quadriplegic. He can’t do anything for himself. What then? He enjoys watching and listening. Whatever is being shared becomes his project also if the person doing the creating shares everything with him, telling him what they are doing, why, how and letting him feel some of the materials with his cheek.

The point I am trying to make to day is that despite whatever handicaps we each may have every human being desires to learn, to experience, to create in some way. When we accept that every human child is valuable no mater what abilities they have or don’t have then we will be able to help them because our desire will be to help them. They will stop being a problem we have but become instead someone we want to bless and who then will bless us. Anyway that is what it has been for me.

There is immense joy in just trying

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Kids learn about Dogs-The Traveling Closet

by Mary Ann on July 25, 2011

Jack LOVES Coby and Odie

Are dogs related to wolves? Do dogs talk with their tails? Can dogs smell better than we do? Are dogs friends or foes? These were some of the questions that we answered in our exploration of the world of dogs this week. We learned fun dog facts for kids so they would be better able to take care of their own dogs and understand dogs that they meet on the street. We had a fun time learning what their own two dogs can do. The kids learned so much about dogs.

As always this idea came from a trip to the library and the fact that Maggie, Mary and Jack love their two dogs. I personally don’t love their two dogs but they LOVE them!! So we decided to learn more about dogs.

I found some great books about dogs in the stacks mixed in among the adult books. That is the only place I had to look to find everything I needed. However, if I had asked our great librarian she would have found me many story type books I am sure!

Here is what Jack found to be the most wonderful thing in all the books, seeing a picture of his own dog, Odie. That had him very excited. However, he didn’t believe that his dog was a dachshund. It was really an Odie and I couldn’t convince him otherwise.

Dog books for kids:

Don’t Lick the Dog by Wendy Wahman
Dogs bySeymourSimon
Different Dogs by Alvin Silverstien
A Kid’s Best Friend by Maya Ajmera
All About Pets – Dogs by Helen Frost
Caring For Your Dog by June Preszler

We began the day by doing what we always do. We read a couple of books. We made dog ears. They were big red Clifford ears made out of construction paper and pipe cleaners.

Our version of Clifford the big red dog

Then I asked Jack if he wanted to make a rolling dog toy. “No, let’s make the cookie dogs”. I had made the mistake of showing the children the materials I had brought to make our lunch and desert, cookie dogs.

Edible cookie dogs

So we made the edible cookie dogs. I found a picture on the internet but as always I used what I had and made my own adjustments. I am not fond of Oreo’s but love chocolate covered mint cookies; so those are what we used. There were marshmallows for feet, fruit leather for ears, mouth and tail, and M and M’s for the eyes. They had so much fun making them and even more fun eating them.

Eating our cookie dogs!

Did you notice that our dog was missing some features? Did you notice that our dog wasn’t as attractive as the web dog? Did you notice the smile on the child’s face over his slightly goofy looking dog (looks like a cat). This is what I LOVE about working with children. They are so easy to please, they are not perfectionists (unless we make them that way) and they take great pride in whatever they do (unless we point out the deficiencies and teach them to be critical of themselves.)

We were going to have hot dogs (of course) for lunch but the cookie dogs were all they could manage. They really were for desert!!

We then read a couple more books and talked about some fun dog facts for kids. Dogs have babies like people, they nurse them like people, and they can be sad, mad or glad just like people. They do not have hands like people but instead paws with pads. Dogs can talk with their tails, their growls and barks and with the way they stand. Dogs can be friendly or not. You have to learn how to tell the difference.

Odie trying to learn how to "sniff it out"!

Next we played a game with Odie and Coby. We wanted to see if their noses were any good at helping them find things. We gave them a doggie treat which they really enjoyed. Then we put them into the house and trailed a treat through the grass and hid some treats. Out came the dogs.

Coby gave up immediately and moseyed back into the house. Odie was able to find the first treat only after we clicked our tongues, pointed and cajoled him into coming our way. After that he kind of had an idea about what to do and with less tongue clicking and pointing he was able to find the treats. He needs a lot more practice! But Jack and Maggie got very excited when ever he finally found a treat.

Then back into the house and another book or two. Then we made our rolling dog toy. What a fun and easy project. I have given you the website for the directions but the picture is pretty self explanatory.

Here are a couple of tips that may make your rolling toy work better for you:

Get fat straws from Hardees or McDonalds. They are better than the thin straws from the grocery store. The fat straws will fit more snuggly into the spools and so they will stay on better.
Because our straws were thin I found that a smidge of scotch tape on the outside of the leg and straw kept the legs from coming off the straws so our dog rolled better.
If you don’t have empty spools just use those with thread on them. You can reclaim your sewing materials when the dogs are toast! You can also buy wooden spools from the craft store but again why spend money if you don’t have to?

Here again notice the difference in the web dog and ours. Then notice the happy concentration of the little girl making the dog. This is ultimately what counts – not the end result but the process! We had some toy dog races which were fun. Maggie was so happy because she could bat the toy from behind and it would roll forward. It is fun to be able to “play’ with a toy.

little girl playing with rolling toy dog

Maggie playing with her home made toy all by herself!

We ended the day by listening to a book on tape all about two very silly dogs. It is actually a song and you could sing it too by following the book. It was a very fun day, and the kids did learn a lot about dogs. This grandma school with the Traveling Closet lasted two hours. Whew! “I Got Two Dogs” by John Lithgow is the book on tape. If you can’t get the book on tape do not despair. You can have John Lithgow teach you and your children this great song while seeing the pictures from the book on UTube. Now enjoy learning all about the wonderful world of dogs!

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