Let’s look at what kids can do with seeds in the dog days of summer.
| Planting Seeds |
Your child may already have been introduced to the wonder of seeds if he or she has had a garden plot this summer. Just because the season is winding down doesn’t mean that the fun of growing things should stop.
With your child, collect seeds from annuals such as cosmos or coreopsis. Plant them in pots and leave them outside until the weather threatens to become frosty. Move them indoors for wintering over in a sunny window. Some plants may not survive all winter, but let your child experiment with those that are successful and those that aren’t. What makes the difference? What are the different requirements of the plants? In the spring, plant out those that are healthy.
| Seeds for the Birds |
After your child eats a juicy watermelon, encourage him or her to save the seeds. Wash them, dry them, and keep them in an airtight container until the winter. When you get out your bird feeder, you’ll have some free seeds for the birds. The seeds from vegetables such as pumpkins, squashes, and cantaloupes can also be used to attract cardinals, chickadees, bluejays, and nuthatches.
| Seed Art |
Make a mosaic picture with seeds. With your child, gather as many seeds as possible from the garden. Raid the kitchen, as well, for dried peas, peppercorns, rice, dried beans, sunflower seeds, whole cloves, coffee beans, whole coriander, and seeds from melons, pumpkin, squash, oranges, grapefruit, and lemons. Wash and dry the seeds from fruits and vegetables.
The background material for your picture can be heavy cardboard, plywood, cork, thin wood, or something similar. Any wood used should be sanded smooth to avoid splinters and slivers. Draw a simple design on the background material. As you do so, consider which seeds will work best in each area. Choose seeds of the appropriate colour, size, and shape for each section.
Now you’re ready to start applying the seeds. Work on one section at a time. Paint each section with glue as you go. Position the seeds with tweezers, covering the surface of each section well. When you’ve finished, fill in any bits that are too bare. Spraying the finished picture with a clear varnish will give the piece a glossy appearance.
