Hanging Rainbow Garden

What you need:

• Plastic berry baskets 
• Big plastic bowl 
• Squares of aluminum foil 
• Big spoon 
• Sphagnum moss 
• Potting soil 
• Pitcher for water 
• Thick yarn 
• Scissors 
• Packets of small annual flower seeds 
• Newspaper or plastic tablecloth 
• Smock 

What to do:

1. Talk about the different colors of flowers you see growing in a field, a garden, or a store window. Go to a garden-supply store and buy some seeds for colorful flowers, sphagnum moss, and potting soil (you can also use dirt from the backyard). 
   
2. Put on a smock and cover a table. Then gather the baskets, bowl, seeds, water pitcher, moss, dirt, and spoons.
   
3. Your child can put the sphagnum moss in the bowl and pour in some water. When the moss has soaked up a lot of water, help him pour out the excess.
   
4. Discuss with your child whether he wants several flowers of different colors in each basket or would prefer only one color per basket. Then show him how to line the berry baskets with lots of damp moss. Next, use a big spoon to put potting soil on top of the moss. Now plant the seeds. 
   
5. Help your child bend the edges of the foil squares to make little dishes to place under the baskets to catch extra water. Place the planters in a sunny window or outdoors to get the flowers started. Have him water the plants daily. 
6. When the flowers begin to bloom, cut and tie long pieces of yarn to the baskets. Select some low branches on which to hang your colorful rainbow garden. Then step back and admire your and nature's handiwork. 
7. To extend the experience, read Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert.

Learning benefits: 

• Demonstrates that plants need soil, sun, and water to grow 
• Shows that flowers grow from seeds 
• Teaches that flowers bloom in many colors