The social and emotional benefits to nurturing empathy in children in school and at home can help to encourage healthy relationships, make responsible decisions and can help regulate emotions. That's why today's new, collaborative gardening tool is all rooted in empathy. This tool is helpful for gardeners of all ages to gain a better understanding and appreciation for what someone else is 'growing' through. It can also be beneficial for a gardener to understand how the impact of negative experiences and challenging emotions (weeds) can have on our own behavior. The final stop on our Weeds to Seeds Empathy Map...find the 'gardening tools' that are right for you and 'grow' from there. Scroll down to download for a blank Weeds to Seeds Map to use as a group gardening exercise in your classroom or to use at home with your family. CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD A BLANK WEEDS TO SEEDS MAP CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO DOWNLOAD A BLANK WEEDS TO SEEDS EMPATHY MAP FOR YOUR CLASS TO WORK ON AS A GROUP OR IN TEAMS - THIS IS ALSO A HELPFUL TOOL TO USE AT HOME - Hey gardeners, did you do our Weeds to Seeds Empathy Map? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Weeds to Seeds Map' Gardening Tool Badge! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet! How many gardening tool badges have you earned so far? Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com For more fun crafts and gardening tools Click Here!

Soup's on gardeners! Did you know that cooking with your kids is one of our favorite ways to boost their social and emotional learning (SEL) development? Today we are sharing a family friendly and FUN alphabet, vegetable soup recipe. This hands-on, early literacy activity is a great SEL learning tool with the added benefit of being delicious! Making a recipe like our Gardener Vocab Soup can help build kids self-confidence and lay the foundation for healthy eating habits. Plus, a fun way way to introduce vegetables to young gardeners is to start with vegetable soups. Making Our Gardener Vocab Soup Has SEL Roots In: 🌸 Hands On Way to Practice Some Basic Math Concepts 🌸 Helps to Develop a Child's Planning and Time Management Skills 🌸 Requires Listening & Attention To Detail 🌸 Builds Self-Confidence 🌸 Fun Early Literacy Activity Scroll down for step-by- step instructions and scroll all the way down to earn your gardening tool badge for this activity! Gardener Vocab Soup 3-4 oz of alphabet pasta 4 stalks of celery, chopped 2-3 carrots, chopped ½ an onion, chopped 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced 4 TBSP butter (half a stick) 2 bouillon cubes 3-4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth 1 cup of water 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Pepper 1.5 tsp Sage 4-5 sprigs of Thyme, minced 2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes Dice your onion, carrots, celery & garlic. Set aside. Put your pot on the stove & set to medium/low heat. Add your butter. Once melted, add your onions. Let the onions cook down for about 5 minutes. When visibly softened, add carrots & celery. Cook down the carrots & celery for another 5-7 minutes. Then add your garlic. Add your salt, pepper, sage & crushed red pepper. Let everything simmer. Boil water in a separate pot. When ready add your alphabet pasta & boil for 9-12 minutes - follow the directions on your bag/box of pasta. When ready, add the pasta and your minced thyme to the soup. Stir and let simmer for 2-3 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, add a little extra thyme on top if desired. Serve and enjoy! (Recipe makes 5-6 servings, adjust for your family!) -We recommend turning this recipe into an opportunity to refresh your child’s gardening vocabulary. Have them spell out words like “weeds” and “flowers” with the pasta letters. -We also recommend that an adult is present and/or cooks this recipe as it involves boiling water and knife skills. -Adjust this recipe as you see fit for your family! Add shredded chicken, extra veggies from your fridge, use more/less broth! Hey gardeners here are some more fun facts about soup: They're healthy. Most ingredients are inexpensive and easy to prepare. Soups freeze very well. They can keep your body nourished and hydrated. They can give your immune system a boost. Hey gardeners...did you make our Gardner Vocab Soup? If so, congratulations, you just earned the Gardener Vocab Soup Gardening Tool Badge! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet! Send us pictures of your Gardener Vocab Soup to flowers@youareagardener.com

We hope you love today's new 'gardening tool' as much as we do! If you are looking for a sweet and simple homemade Valentine's craft to give out instead of traditional cards this year, then you will love our Watercolor Valentine's Day Hearts. This hands on and easy craft is fun for gardeners of all ages, with very minimal materials needed. Our Watercolor Valentine's Day Craft 'Gardening Tool' Has SEL Roots In: ❤️ Encourages Self-Awareness ❤️ Stimulates Creativity ❤️ Developing Fine Motor Skills ❤️ Following Instructions ❤️ Encouraging Positive /Present Thinking This craft aka 'gardening tool' was created by our extremely talented Illustrator & Videographer, Kelsey Jordan. Press Play to Watch Now! Scroll down for step-by- step instructions and scroll all the way down to earn your gardening tool badge for this activity! Watercolor Valentine's Day Hearts -Glue Gun -Watercolor Paints & Paintbrush -Crayons -Scissors -Thick paper Draw a heart with your glue gun, when it's dry cut out the heart. Take your crayons out and decorate your hearts (try using a white crayon to write a secret message). Grab your paintbrush and fill in your hearts with watercolor. Let dry for a few hours. These are fun to give away as Valentine's day cards or as decorations your windows, fridge or walls. Hey teachers..,these hearts would like sweet around the classroom or on a bulletin board! Gardener Kelsey's Tips: Make the lines of your heart with your glue gun really thick (so paint wont seep under/over the edges If you want to write a secret message - make your letters thick, and go back over each line of crayon a few times to ensure it shows up! Hey gardeners, did you make our Watercolor Valentine's Day Hearts ? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Watercolor Hearts Gardening Tool Badge! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet! How many gardening tool badges have you earned so far? Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com Building on and nurturing SEL skills for children at home and in school is what You Are a Gardener and gardening tools are all about! Dig into some more crafts here!

What do you get when you cross counting sheep with counting your blessings...today's new 'Gardening Tool', Count Your Flowers! This is a wonderful tool for gardeners of all ages to help you fall asleep, fall back asleep or to help redirect your thoughts from negative to positive. The trick with this tool is the more you use it the more progress you make. Consistency is key! How it works is when you turn out the lights and your room gets quiet, start thinking of all the things you are grateful for. Start with things that happened that day...a walk with your dog, a sunny day, hearing your favorite song, having dinner with your family. You can then let your mind drift to things you are grateful for overall...family, friends, your home, your school/or profession. You can also focus on all the things you are grateful for in your own body...the air in your lungs, the strong beat in your heart, your feet that get you around, your ears for hearing beautiful sounds, etc. As you can see gardeners, no matter what kind of day you are having, there are always flowers to be grateful for. If you wake up in the middle of the night, repeat the process until you fall back asleep. This process is also helpful anytime of the day when you find your mind wandering to the weeds (negative thoughts). Just gently redirect yourself back to your grateful thoughts (flowers) and take deep breaths. Repeat as often as needed. According to Health Matters, "being grateful can have many positive health effects. Studies show practicing gratitude can lead to more intimate and connected relationships, less depression, more motivation and engagement, and better overall mental well-being." So, what are you waiting for? Start Counting Your Flowers today! Gardening Tip: For younger gardeners, you may have to help them with this process in the beginning and go through the steps until they are comfortable & confident to do it on their own. Hey Gardeners...Did you & your family try out this new gardening tool? If so, then you just earned yourself the Count Your Flowers Gardening Tool Badge! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet! Looking to add some new gardening tools to your toolkit? Click Here for more! #CountYourFlowers #WaterYourFlowers #Gratitude

As gardeners there are so many 'gardening tools' available to help us feel more in control of our emotions and help us get back to a calmer and more confident state of mind when we encounter stress. Filling up our 'emotional toolbox' with as many 'gardening tools' as we can is what being a gardener is all about. The more tools we have, the more prepared we are when we encounter challenging feelings and emotions. Today's new gardening tool is all about turning your weeds into seeds with our signature Flower Fortune Tellers! Scroll down to dig into our instructional video and step-by-step tutorial. This craft (gardening tool) was created by our extremely talented Illustrator & Videographer, Kelsey Jordan. Press Play to Watch Now! This helpful little tool is fun to use when you are searching for a 'gardening tool' to help you get back to your flowers (positive feelings/thoughts) if you are feeling a little stuck in the weeds (negative feelings/thoughts). We predict this tool is sure to be a favorite for gardeners of all ages to use at home and in school with minimal materials needed. Scroll all the way down to earn your gardening tool badge for this activity! (You can swap out markers for colored pencils or crayons) < SLIDE THROUGH THE STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR FLOWER FORTUNE TELLERS > Gardener's Tip: Write down your 8 favorite gardening tools on the inside and anytime you feel a weed pop up, take out your Flower Fortune Teller. This is a fun tool to use for yourself, at school or with your family. It is a bright and cheerful reminder to redirect your thoughts from a negative to a positive! Fun fact: These fortune tellers are a form of origami (and we LOVE origami) they are also referred to as cootie catchers because they imitate the act of catching insects and unwanted things (aka weeds)! Our Flower Fortune Teller 'Gardening Tool' Is Rooted In: -Creativity -Conflict/Resolution Skills -Relationship Building (Encourages Interaction) -Positive Re-Direction -Self-Compassion (building on and nurturing SEL skills for children at home and in school <> -Print Out Template -Color -Follow the Video & Fold -Write Down These 8 Gardening Tools on The Inside: (write down 3 flowers from today, go outside for a walk or to play, color or draw for 10 minutes, do 10 jumping jacks, read a chapter in a book, do 5 minutes of flower breathing, write down 5 things you are grateful for, drink a glass of cold water) Feel Free To Use Your Own Favorite Gardening Tools Hey gardeners, did you make our fortune teller? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Flower Fortune Teller' Gardening Tool Badge! How many gardening tool badges have you earned so far? Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com For more fun crafts and gardening tools Click Here! #PullYourWeeds®

Hey gardeners, today's new gardening tool is all about "looking for fun and feeling groovy" with our DIY Tie Dye Flowers! There are so many social and emotional learning (SEL) benefits to participating in crafts and DIY projects in school and at home. Our Tie Dye Flower 'Gardening Tool' Has SEL Roots In: -Creativity -Fun Group Activity -Developing Fine Motor Skills -Following Instructions -Encouraging Positive /Present Thinking This craft aka 'gardening tool' was created by our extremely talented Illustrator & Videographer, Kelsey Jordan. Press Play to Watch Now! Scroll down for step-by- step instructions and scroll all the way down to earn your gardening tool badge for this activity! Materials Needed For Our Tie Dye Flower 'Gardening Tool' White Coffee Filters Markers Spray Bottle with Water Scissors A fun group activity like these tie dye flowers is a wonderful way to help gardeners redirect their thoughts from a negative (weeds) to a positive. When a gardener is thinking about negative things that happened in the past or worrying about things that could happen in the future, they can get stuck in the 'weeds'. Crafts and DIY projects encourage gardeners (of all ages) to stay in the 'present' moment and focus on following directions and what is happening in front of them. Gardener Kelsey’s Tips: -More color is better- Have fun and fill in as much as you can on the whole filter. -Less water is better- Try not to soak the coffee filter, simply ensure the whole thing has been sprayed lightly. -You can use any spray bottle (old cleaning bottles, garden sprayers ,etc) if you don’t have any bottles, you can try using an eye dropper to create more of a splatter effect! Hey gardeners, did you make our Tie Dye Flowers ? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Tie Dye Flower Gardening Tool Badge! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet! How many gardening tool badges have you earned so far? Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com Building on and nurturing SEL skills for children at home and in school is what You Are a Gardener and gardening tools are all about! Dig into some more crafts here! This post was inspired by a craft we saw by Mishell from The Printables Fairy - Check out her version here: https://www.printablesfairy.com/coffee-filter-snowflakes/

Now is the time to raise our voices and our awareness to the mental health crisis that our children are facing. The younger we can connect with kids and empower them with positive tools and healthy skills to help them feel confident and calm, the brighter their futures (and ours) will be. Now more than ever children need tools to help them navigate stress. By creating a shared emotional language (flower, weeds & seeds) we can help guide children through big emotions and help them to keep the lines of communication open. WE ARE HERE TO HELP be a part of this solution. Our children's book, You Are a Gardener®, our SEL Services & Program, our family workshops, our #PullYourWeeds® Blog are all rooted in empowering kids at home and in school with a vocabulary, mindset and healthy tools to grow forward on a peaceful and positive path. Families, teachers, educators and mental health advocates, let's dig in together and help our children today!

Teacher Appreciation Packet Plant some positive seeds in your classroom and show your teacher some gardener love with our Teacher Appreciation Packet! This bundle includes a signed copy of You Are a Gardener®, #PullYourWeeds® Pencils, Pins, Post-Its, Stickers, a hand written note and some helpful classroom resources. Limited time only. Let's Grow! Our book and gardener goodies are a wonderful way to introduce children to the You Are a Gardener® mindset, vocabulary and healthy tools to help kids manage stress and challenging emotions at school and at home. Creating a shared emotional language for children, families and educators is at the very root of our foundation. << ORDER YOUR PACKET TODAY! >>

Help Us Grow! (Spread Some Seeds, Get Some Gift Cards) Now more than ever children, teachers and families need healthy, positive and proactive mental health & emotional wellness programs in schools and at home. Our SEL Services & Programs empower individuals with a positive mindset & tools to help them 'grow' through stress & challenging emotions feeling confident and calm. Refer our SEL programs & assemblies to any elementary school counselors, principals, teachers or PTO board members and we will send you a $10 gift card. If the school books any of our services we will send you an additional $50 gift card! How It Works: Copy us on a personalized email introduction to any elementary school counselor, principal, teacher or PTO board member and we will send you a $10 gift card. (flowers@youareagardener.com) If the school or group books any one of our SEL services or programs we will send you an additional $50 gift card! *This offer expires 4/30/2023.Amazon gift cards only. Email addresses and contacts must be valid. Multiple introductory emails are welcome and are entitled to multiple gift cards. Offer valid on one gift card per school.

This may look like a children’s book and platform but our message is truly ageless. Empowering individuals with the mindset for recognizing stress, communicating feelings with trusted sources and using healthy & positive tools to move forward and grow is at the very ‘root’ of our foundation. 🌺 Now more than ever WE ALL need to come together and plant the seeds for a mentally healthy tomorrow! The You Are a Gardener®️ Book & Learning Programs 🦊 Have Roots In: 🌻Keeping the lines of communication open. 🌻Using healthy & positive tools to manage stress. 🌻Introducing a NEW mindset for mental health and wellness. 🌻Using gardening vocabulary as emotional metaphors. Our Book is a Great Gift For:👏 -Your Kids -Young Families -Teachers -Middle Schoolers -Mental Health Advocates -New Parents -School Counselors -Yourself It’s time we all roll up our sleeves and dig into raising a new generation of emotionally empowered individuals together! 🙌 This is more than a book, it's a mindset. Dig into a new approach for a healthy way to manage stress and your emotions. You are a gardener. #PullYourWeeds #MentalHealthMatters #DigIn #MentalWellness #HealthyTools

Hey gardeners…Did you know that all our signature Fox Beaded Bracelets are designed and handmade by Gardener Anna and Gardener Aidan? This video clip highlights Gardener Aidan working on a custom order for a very special gardener friend for his class Valentine’s Day gifts. 👉Click Here To Order Our Signature Fox Beaded Bracelet Today👈 🌸 Gardeners Tip: Beading is a wonderful ‘gardening tool’ for gardeners of all ages. It is a relaxing exercise with rewarding results. It allows us to use our fine motor skills, improve our cognitive thinking and can even lower our blood pressure! This quiet activity doesn’t require many special supplies and it can be done virtually anywhere. Not only does beading promote #mindfulness and relieve stress, it also encourages us to explore our #creativity and can boost our self esteem! For custom orders please send us an email to flower@youareagardener.com or via our contact page.

When we think of some of our favorite gardening words we use frequently on the #PullYourWeed® Blog a few come to mind; joyful, grateful, helpful, hopeful...interestingly enough they all end in 'ful! So we did a little digging and a composed a list of some more incredible and encouraging words that end in 'ful. Scroll down to see the list and for a free download of our How 'Ful Are You SEL Activity Sheet to do at home or in the classroom.. Joyful Gardening Words That End In FUL Joyful- Helpful -Hopeful- Youthful- Successful Careful- Thoughtful- Respectful -Faithful Insightful -Skillful -Delightful -Purposeful -Grateful - Beautiful - Impactful- Trustful- Plentiful- Powerful- Colorful Thankful -Graceful -Peaceful- Truthful -Skillful- Resourceful- Playful- Useful -These are some fun words to use on a vision board too!- Click on the photo to download the Free PDF version of our How 'ful Are You -SEL Activity Sheet . This is a helpful social-emotional learning (SEL) resource to use at home or in your classroom. This can also be a fun read aloud activity to do in school as each student could go around and take turns at reading one of the words they choice and describe why they connected with it. We feel hopeful that you will download this activity sheet for your family or students. We feel it is a great way to incorporate encouraging and uplifting vocabulary into a daily experience. We are grateful for all our gardener friends and look forward to sharing more crafts, SEL activities, recipes and more with you on our #PullYourWeeds® Blog. Hey gardeners...Can you think of some other encouraging words that end in ful? If so, send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com ! Hey teachers, are you looking for some other fun and free SEL resources to use in your classroom...click on the 'School' Tab on our #PullYourWeeds® Blog.