Kids Stuff

Bug Bottle

Supplies; A cooperative caterpillar, beetle,grasshopper, snail, slug or spider, some leaves, a little moist soil, a large jar with holes punched in the lid 9get your grown-up to assist you with this)

Put a little mosit soil in the bottom of your jar.  Walk through your garden and see if you can find any interesting bugs, slugs or snails.  Stay away from wasps, bees, and black widow spiders.

When you find something good gently move it into your jar.  it's a good idea to put a few leaves or a little twig in the jar so your bug feels at home.

Your bug will need a little something to eat.  Snails, slugs, grasshoppers and caterpillars like to eat leaves, especially lettuce.  Ladybugs eat aphids, praying mantises and spiders like flies.

Keep your jar indoors out of the sun and heat.  Every day or two, add a few drops of water and maybe a fesh leaf.  Check you bug often to see what it's up to.

after a week, return your bug to your garden (or if you had a slug or snail, to an open field) and find another one.

Eggshell Gardening

Supplies; Eggshell halves, pebbles, potting soil, egg carton, egg dye,seeds for herb or flowers.

To Start;

Save eggshells.  Wash and dry them.  make a pinhole in the bottom of each one for drainage.  If you want colored shells, dip in egg dye 9same dye you use at Easter to colour eggs) and let dry.

put the dry shells in the egg carton.  Out a few pebbles in the bottom of each egg-shell.  Add potting soil.  plant 2 or 3 seeds in each shell.  Cover lightly with soil.  Water with a teaspoon.  this is a great way to start plants indoors. (Transplant later).

don't let egg cartons get full of water.  hang your egg garden with a yarn if you like

Fruit and Vegetable Printing

Some vegetables and fruits make exciting artwork to hang on your wall!  all you do is cut them in half, paint them with ink or paint and press them on paper.

Artichokes make beautiful prints, Apples, mushrooms, oranges, lemons are good too.  If you want interesting designs. cut patterns into potatoes or carrots, then print

Gourd Maracas

Maracas are a musical instrument.

to make them from gourds poke a nail hole in the stem and end of gourd.  This helps the gourd to dry out faster.

When the gourd is dry the seeds are loose.  they make a noise when you shake the "maracas".  paint and then spray or paint with shellac (get adult help) to preserve your gourds.

You will now be able to create your own music from nature

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Supplies; pumpkin seeds from one pumpkin, a little salt, a bowl, paper towels, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and a cookie sheet

1. Cut your pumpkin open and scoop out all of the seeds.  Rinse them with water to remove all the stringy stuff.  Spread the seeds out on paper towels for a few hours until they are dry
2. Once the seeds are dry, preheat your oven to 250 degrees
3. Put the seeds in the bowl and add the oil and a little salt.  Mix it all together
4. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and bake for about an hour.  Stir the seeds around every fifteen minutes.
5. Let your seeds cool a little bit before you start eating them

You Spurt, Seeds Sprout!