I saw this wonderful (and inexpensive) idea for a Christmas present over at Greenhab. We put several of these together using paper white kits purchased at Aldi for $4 a piece. Each kit contained four bulbs. We also bought several bags of pretty stones at the Dollar Tree. The glass containers we already had. We planted the bulbs about two weeks ago. Some of these we gave away before the plants really had begun to grow, but now they are growing and I can't help but see a science lesson here. When else can you grow a plant and actually see the roots?
I brought all the kids into the kitchen for an impromptu science lesson. We talked about the plant parts and their functions. The cool thing is the learning doesn't stop there.
We are keeping one of these for ourselves and in a few weeks should see the flowers. Then after the flowers fade we can talk about how the bulb stores up energy. At the end of the summer we will allow our bulb to go dormant for 5-6 weeks and then start the process over; the complete cycle. How cool is that? Kellen is less than impressed, but I think the other kids will enjoy it.
You just never know what may turn into an educational opportunity. These were intended only for Christmas presents. They have become a pretty science lesson also.
paper whites are gorgeous. How much fun as a project to do together. we did some growing stuff over the summer and we also have been doing some plant propagation in the house this winter with a spider plant.
ReplyDeletePaper whites are so pretty. I've not thought about having these in the house for years! Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to get more plants into the house for a healthier indoor environment. It's especially nice in the winter. We've got Christmas cactus and African violets blooming right now.