Welcome to Earth and Sky week! Today we’ll learn about gardens with Word Party, plant some seeds of our own, read Leaf Man, and use nature to make art.

Watch Together

The babies plant some flowers and learn how plants grow in this episode of Word Party, (Season 2, Episode 1, “Bailey’s Garden”). After watching, ask your child to recall some of the words the babies learned, like:

• Dirt

• Plant

• Seed

• Garden

Plant Your Own Garden

Spring is the perfect time to plant a garden of your own! If no seed packets are available to you, invite your child to dig the seeds from a piece of fruit and plant those: apples, avocados, and watermelons are good options. Scope out a sunny spot in your backyard to make your garden, or just plant the seeds in a flowerpot, jar, or can, and grow them indoors.

After planting the seeds, your child can predict how tall her plant will grow using the sheet below!

Download the sheet here.

Cuddle Up and Read

Do you have any books about dirt, leaves, or plants? Ask your child which one he might like to read with you. Or check out this read-aloud of Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert.

Watch the story here.

Make a Leaf Man

Now it’s time to make a Leaf Man yourself! Head outside to grab some leaves, twigs, acorns, or anything else that looks interesting. Keep an eye out for cool colors, shapes, and patterns- those will make your Leaf Man even more unique. After you’ve gathered your materials, glue them to a piece of paper, remembering to include all of Leaf Man’s body parts: eyes, hands, legs, etc. And hey, if you want to get a little creative and make a Leaf Octopus instead, go for it!

Afterwards, share your creations with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram by using #HensonAtHome .

Find the original post here.

Coming up next…

Earth and Sky week continues with Sid the Science Kid, and rainy-day activities!