Hello Gardeners! For those of us on the east coast spring has been slow to start. To add a little brightness to our week and windowsill we decided to make our very own Springtime Terrariums. This particular #CraftForKIds helps develop fine motor skills with cutting and gluing small pieces of tissue paper to delicate branches. The creative decision making skills that go into color choice and flower placement is also a skill that boosts confidence. All you need for this colorful craft is mason jar with a metal lid, small piece of cardboard, raffia (or ribbon), scissors, tissue paper and glue. Materials Needed For Make Your Own Tree Terrarium 1. First we went outside and found a few small branched with offshoots. 2. We then traced the lid on a piece of cardboard to cut out and use as a base for the terrarium in the lid and created small holes in the cardboard for the branches. 3. After placing the branches in the holes with a dab of glue we added green tissue paper at the base for color and it also provided support for the branches. Optional: Gardener Aidan wanted to add some texture to the base and decided to cut up small pieces of raffia to look like grass. 4. Cut up small pieces of tissue paper and twist them into flower like bunches and glue to the branches. (Aidan was inspired by our neighbors cherry tree and our forsythia bushes) 5. Once the glue dries place the jar on top and twist into place. We added ribbon to the base for a pop of color. Bonus...no watering required! We hope you enjoyed this bright and cheerful Springtime Terrarium craft! Send us some pictures of your terrariums and as always....#PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Today is a very special day because it's our 100th blog post! It's been a little over a year since we launched our #PullYourWeeds blog and we have so enjoyed providing your classrooms and homes with fun, helpful activities and resources to help young gardeners pull their weeds and plant their seeds. Thank you so much for being a part of our journey! To celebrate our 100th blog post, today we are we are making some Upcycled #PullYourWeeds Planters! This project is a fun reminder to keep your flowers (your joyful & happy emotions) growing tall and bright & when in need to pull your weeds (talk about your negative feelings and emotions with someone you trust). We have a lot of exciting projects in the works for our blog...so stay tuned! Here is what you'll need for your planters: Empty cans (soup cans, canned tomatoes, coffee cans, etc.) Paint Paint brush Gardening materials It's quite simple, just decorate your can any way you'd like! First, I painted my can white so that the colored paint would stand out a bit more. Just be sure to put some small rocks in the bottom of your can before you put potting soil in so that the water can drain. Now you can turn all of your empty cans into beautiful holders for your plants! We love this craft because it: Encourages gardening (both emotionally and physically!) Promotes recycling! So much of the stuff we throw away can be repurposed. Requires so few materials! We are always looking for fun crafts that don't require a trip to the store. Thank you again, gardeners for joining us today! Whether this is your 1st time on the blog or your 100th, we appreciate the support and are excited to share ideas with you. Stay bright and don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Recently, #GardenerAnna shared a video talking about the importance of documenting this strange and unpredictable time in which we live. Check it out below! While we've talked about journaling on the blog before, today on the blog, we are looking at the many ways you can journal and how to making journaling part of your daily routine! And just a reminder, while this blog is mostly features ideas and crafts for young gardeners, this crazy time in history affects ALL of us so we highly encourage gardeners of all ages to journal about their day-to-day experiences, emotions that come up, and what's on your mind! A necessary first step to journaling is acquiring a journal. Here is a quick and incredibly easy handmade journal that just requires 1 sturdy piece of paper (construction paper or card stock), computer paper, and a rubber band. Fold all of your paper in half and place your folded computer paper on top of your folded sturdy paper. Then fold all of the paper in half again to form a booklet. Place your rubber band around the paper to cover the fold and there you go - your very own journal! Now that you have your journal, many people question what to write about, how to start, etc. Have no fear! Here are 5 tips to a successful journal 👇👇👇 Is writing not your thing? Try photo-journaling! Photo-journaling is exactly what it sounds like, using photography as your method for documenting your day. Take photos of things you find beautiful, or that bring you joy, or that represent how you experienced a moment, put them in a folder on your computer, and date the folder. Keep all of your entries in one place so you can access them easily! Here is an example of Gardener Devin's photo journal from yesterday! Don't have a camera? Create a doodle journal - make at least one doodle per day and be sure to date each creation! It'll make such a nice book to flip through at a later date. There are tons of ways to journal. Start or end each day with a journal entry, after just a few days, you'll find you feel more aware of your thoughts and feelings, have an ability to see more beauty and peace during such uncertain times, and like Gardener Anna said, it's a great way to document this time in history! We would love to see how you #DocumentYourDay! Let us know in the comments below your favorite way to journal. See you next time gardeners and don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Recently our illustrator, Kelsey Jordan (formerly DeLaney) did a video tutorial showing gardeners how to draw our beloved #Foxie! We were so overjoyed with the responses and the drawings you sent us. We love that each an every one has it's own style and that you put your personality into your drawings. Amazing! If you happened to miss that video tutorial, don't fret! You can watch it on YouTube 😊 Here are some of the amazing responses we received! We thought we would continue to celebrate the Foxie Fan Club with another fox-themed craft! All you'll need for this one is: A paper plate Orange, black, and pink construction paper (OR orange, black, and pink coloring utensils) Glue Scissors First, fold in both sides of the plate to make a triangle. Next, take a piece of your orange construction paper and cut out a triangle with a rounded base that fits on the rounded part of your plate. Cut out two small triangles for the ears of our fox! Take a minute to make sure everything is glued down - the big orange triangle, the flaps of our paper plate, and the orange ears. Now take your black paper and cut out a circle for the nose and two smaller circles for the eyes. Cut out slightly smaller triangles with your pink paper to place on top of your orange ears. Then glue everything in place! Then you are left with a perfect Foxie! Feel free to collect some flower petals and leaves to make Foxie a flower crown. This is the perfect activity for younger gardeners to practice some fine motor skills and if you choose to make the flower crown - it gets everyone outside! As always, please send us photos of how YOU made this craft, we love seeing them! We also want to hear which of our crafts on the #PullYourWeeds blog are your favorites, so let us know @youareagardener or at flowers@youareagardener.com. Remember, gardeners, #TheFutureIsBright!

Hello Gardeners! Like most we've been thinking a lot about how to show support to the ones we love and the ones who are working tirelessly to keep all of us safe and connected. We would like to extend our gratitude and positive thoughts to healthcare workers, package and mail carriers, warehouse employees, sanitation employees, store clerks, teachers, truckers, farmers, military, and everyone else who cannot stay home. Thank you for keeping us healthy, well fed, connected, and happy! Learning to show gratitude during a time when it's easy to focus on the negative is a skill that takes practice. Take some time out of your day to think about the people who support you or the experiences that you treasure, and the small things that make you smile. It's through small gestures - writing notes, distantly celebrating birthdays, helping out our neighbors, and coming together as a community for everyone to feel appreciated, supported, respected, and celebrated. Over the remainder of this time at home, showing love and appreciation through small gestures can make a big impact on those around you. Making cards for the people who are on the frontline is a small gesture that goes a long way! It doesn't have to be much, just a "stay safe!", "we appreciate you!", or simply, "thank you!". Help prepare dinner for a neighbor, family member, or friend who is unable to stay at home. Click the image for a list of recipes that encourage kid-involvement! And of course, check in on your grandparents and older relatives. Invite them to a virtual dinner, watch a movie over video chat, read them a story over the phone - keep them connected! We would love to hear about how you and your families are staying in touch while you #StayAtHome. Be safe, be kind, and #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! How are you doing out there? In these upside down times it is important to keep checking in on yourself and your kids. Talking with your family and friends about how you are feeling sometimes needs to be done on a day to day, hour to hour basis. We are all in this together and here to help you through these challenging times. We will continue to post fun and easy activities for the whole family to enjoy. Keeping our minds and hands active with a positive craft, recipe or project allows us to enter a “flow” state which is the perfect balance between skill and challenge. Today, we are going to keep things simple and fun with this Paper Cactus Craft 🌵! This craft is great for younger gardeners looking to develop those #finemotorskills - lots of small scissor cuts and bending of paper. All you'll need to complete your paper cactus is: Colored paper (green for sure!) Scissors Tape* *If you need to sub glue for tape that will work but we found it to be a bit messier! First cut a strip of your yellow paper. This is going to be your "planter" for your cactus. Take the strip and roll it to form a cylinder and tape in place. Then, secure it to your white paper. Next, cut strips (varying widths) of your green paper. Start to fold your green strips in half, but don't crease the bend. Secure the two loose ends together with a piece of tape and then attach to your paper. Do this with various sizes and lengths so it starts to form a cactus shape. Next cut out small flower shapes from your red piece of paper. I like to fold the paper a few times so I can cut out multiple at a time! Using very small pieces of tape, attach the flowers to your cactus. Finally, I wanted to add some decoration to my planter, so I cut out some triangles and taped them all over my cylinder. And there you have it! A beautiful paper cactus sure to add a fresh & fun touch to your refrigerator or walls. We really love the 3D element to this craft - something a little different! Thanks for stopping by today, friends! We *strongly* urge you to check out our past blog posts if you are looking for fun crafts, easy recipes, or #SEL activities! Be sure to search our #SELatHome category if you'd like to incorporate some learning into your family time! 🌵 🌵 🌵 And as always, remember to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Getting fresh air and moving around outside is a great mental health booster! Today's post is all about ways to get outdoors and breathe in that beautiful fresh air! Whether it's reading in your back yard, having a picnic in a secluded corner of the park, or sitting on your front stoop to soak up some sun, safely getting outside can really help keep us healthy right now. No matter what type of environment you live in - urban, rural, seaside, these activities works for everyone! This is a two part activity, so it's perfect if you are really looking to fill up your day with some positive pursuits . First, is a simple #ScavengerHunt. Write out a list of at least 10-15 things to find and collect in nature. They don't have to be super specific, but adjust as needed for your area. Here is our list for reference: Find 5 small twigs of varying colors Find one oddly shaped leaf Find something that has fallen off of a tree Find 2 different types of flowers Find a weed Find something that is made out of wood Find something green Find something brown Find 3 smooth pebbles Find one pinch of dirt or sand Find something brittle and dried up Find something that smells good Find something beautiful Find something you don't recognize After you've collected all (or most) of these items, bring them back to your home and make a Nature Crown! We really love this activity because the results turn out so well no matter what you've collected! Here is what you'll need to make your crown: 1 brown paper bag Scissors Tape Glue Items you may want to decorate your crown: Tissue paper Colored paper Decorative tape First things first, make your crown. First, cut down one of the folds to reach the base of the bag and then cut out the base to make one big sheet of paper. Next, cut the width of the paper in half and wrap the strip around your head to measure how big or small you need the loop to be. Cut off the excess and secure with tape once you've reached the correct size. Now it's time for the fun part...decorate! Use glue to attach the materials you found during the scavenger hunt - and tip, if something isn't stay glued on, coat some tissue paper with glue and use that like a piece of tape. It's a fun way to add some color while insure the heavier items stay put! Once you've decorated to your liking, let your crown dry completely before wearing! This full afternoon activity is not only a great way to get some fresh air, but it is a wonderful exploratory activity that gets kids curious about the outdoors and allows for some learning. Also, making (& wearing) the crown is just plain fun! If you did this craft with your family, send us your photos! We would love to see the items you collected during your scavenger hunt and how you decorated your crowns. Hang in there gardeners and don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Welcome back to the #PullYourWeeds blog, we are so happy you are here! Shanna Truffini, author of You Are A Gardener, often says, "Choose joy." In these unusual and unprecedented times, we find that to be both a challenge and a necessity. If this time at home has taught us anything, it's that the world is unpredictable and while it's easy to get busy with routine, it is essential to have the ability to slow down, be present with the ones you love, and find gratitude with what you have. We often think of this quote by the one and only JK Rowling, On the blog today we have a super simple craft -great for gardeners of any age - and the results are beautiful! We are making Watercolor Window Hangers, and in honor of #EarthDay this week, we are using recycled materials to help us make them. We really love this craft because it's great for those young gardeners working on their fine motor skills, colors, and shapes! Here is what you will need: Basic watercolor set (if you don't have watercolors, use colored pencils!) Sturdy paper Toilet paper tube Recyclables in various shapes-such as bottle caps Scissors Feel free to create whatever image you'd like! We chose a simple flower to demonstrate, but make an entire scene, make something abstract, go with your own flow! What we did was cut and bend our toilet paper roll into various shapes and used a small plastic circle as outlines, then filled in with watercolor. **Note, if you are trying to teach your gardener about primary and secondary colors, this is a great craft because as you overlap primary colors, they form secondary colors** Now proudly display in your window! The watercolor has this stained glass effect when the sunlight hits that is so beautiful and these little window hangers serve as another reminder to remember the flowers! Did you make this craft? Send us your photos by tagging @youareagardener or emailing them to flowers@youareagardener.com. We truly hope you are finding a way to #ChooseJoy right now! We are here for you and are in this together! And of course, please do not forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! We all experience those moments when we feel worked up, overwhelmed, antsy, and a little all over the place. Previously on the blog, we've talked about grounding techniques, breathing techniques, and ways to wind down - but today we are going to look at some activities and crafts that make settling down simple and satisfying! Have your students make #FlowerBreathers! Any time you see a student get worked up, have them pull out their flower breather and ask them to take 10 slow, deep breaths. Using a tool like this helps kids focus on the breath because they can visualize it and it's a great way for them to practice self-regulation! Here's what you'll need: First, cut out and glue squares of tissue paper to cover the toilet paper tube - if you don't have time for this step, feel free to just leave them their natural color or use markers instead! Then, trace the outline of your tube on a piece of construction paper. Draw 3 small rectangles around the inside of your circle - these will act as tabs to attach to the tube. Draw flower petals around that circle, and then cut out the shape of the flower. Next, cut out the circle - be sure to leave your tabs! Repeat this step with at least one other piece of colored paper and experiment with different flower shapes. Attach your flower petals to your tube using glue or tape. Then, cut out strips of tissue paper and glue or tape them to the other side of the tube. Let your glue dry, then have your students take deep breaths through the tube and watch the tissue paper move with their breath! Print out #WordSearches and #ColoringPages. Activities likes this require focus and help gardeners go from all over the place to present in a short amount of time. You can find free, downloadable word searches here and free coloring pages here. Create a calming sensory station in your classroom. Fill small canvas bags with calming scents like lavender, jasmine, rosemary, rose petal and allow students to explore the various smells. Provide some stress balls, silly putty, and moon sand for some unique textures. Maybe even provide a set of headphones or an eye mask to help block out the audible and visual distraction. Play a game like Telephone! Telephone is a great activity to do if your students need a change of pace! If your students respond to being overwhelmed by using loud voices, this is sure to quiet everyone down. Also - it's fun! Students get to work together and laugh, which is a great way to hit the reset button. When in doubt, you can alway pull out a grounding technique or a breathing technique to do with your whole class! 🌾 🌾 🌾 How do you help your students settle down? We would love to hear your tips and share your activities with gardeners everywhere! Thanks for reading along, gardeners and don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! With the speed in which days, weeks, and months fly by, we can one minute be on top of our gardening and the next minute, come back to an overgrown mess! It's natural to lose track of time - we live busy lives! But in these moments where you are standing at the edge of a weed-y, overgrown garden, remember that your maintaining your mental health is a process. Growth and progress are not linear - in other words, sometimes we take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. That may feel like regression, but really it's experiencing the fall back that helps your grow! It's easy to feel frustrated and disappointed. A huge hurdle with being mentally healthy is being gentle with yourself - treating yourself like a friend. Think about it this way - gardeners who weed today know full well that tomorrow a bunch of new weeds are going to poke their heads out of the soil. It's like our author, Shanna, says, "Weeds happen. It's just a natural fact." When the weeds happen, we've found the the best way to pull those weeds are to talk about them! Find a person you trust and tell them what you are going through. Opening up and talking about the your struggles or the things that make you feel small prevents those things from taking root and dominating your garden. With Valentine's Day coming up, treat yourself to something sweet! Here is a quick and delicious treat sure to put a smile on your face :) *Replace peanut butter with marshmallow or sun butter for allergies! If you ever feel like you don't have someone to talk to, remember that we are here! We want to hear about your weeds, seeds, and flowers and help you keep your garden looking colorful and bright! Email flowers@youareagardener.com. So go ahead, gardeners - #PullYourWeeds!

Hello gardeners! Cooking shows are always a hit with our whole family, especially ones that involve a challenge. This Spring break we decided to take a trip through our kitchen and discover ingredients we could use to go head -to- head in a 30 minute bake off. Check it out as Gardener Anna & I use our superb baking talents in our own version of the Spring Baking Championship! The Theme of This Challenge: Miniature pies that represent something special about you. The Challenge Ingredients: Mini graham cracker pie crusts and vanilla pudding. Time on the Clock: 30 minutes to be finished and plated. The Judges: Gardener Aidan and his Dad. The Prize: Having fun with your family. Spring Baking Championship Contestants-Gardener Anna & Gardener Shanna 30 Minutes on The Clock To Complete and Plate The Dessert Anna Chose a Deconstructed Cannoli Pie To Represent Her Love For Italian Pastries She mixed in her pudding- ricotta cheese, cream cheese and folded in whip cream with powdered sugar and a handful of chocolate chips. She then melted chocolate with butter and swirled it in the pudding right before plating. She also chopped up some almonds to use an accent on her final presentation. Shanna Went With an Oat & Apple Pudding Pie In Honor of Her Grandparent's Apple Farm She melted butter, brown sugar and added apples and oats. She layered the mixture on the bottom of the crust then added a layer of pudding dusted with cinnamon and a dollop of the apple mixture on top. With 15 Seconds to Spare Both Desserts Get Plated The Judges (Gardener Aidan & His Dad) Interview the Contestants and Dig In Some feedback from Gardener Aidan, "Mom, your flavor is good it is just a little too oaty at the bottom for me." "Anna your pudding is delicious, I love how creamy it is and chocolate chips are my favorite!" Who will the judges choose...keep scrolling! And the winner of the Spring Baking Championship Is....Gardener Anna! This post highlights baking as a therapeutic and rewarding exercise for the whole family to enjoy. Baking has been found to have therapeutic values which helps to ease stress and anxiety. It is a creative and meditative process that stimulates the senses with rewarding/tasty results 💚 .

Hello Gardeners! We know the sentiment rings true that we are better together than we are as individuals. When we work together, we balance out each other's strengths and weaknesses. Today on the blog, we are looking at why classroom #collaboration is important and provide you with some creative, collaborative activities! Why is collaboration so important? Collaboration urges us to: 1. Communicate 2. Negotiate and problem solve 3. Feel confident in sharing our ideas 4. Gain deeper insight into the subject 5. Enjoy working with others! Collaborative learning is a great way to build social and emotional learning (#SEL) into your lesson plan. Not only are your students developing a deeper understanding into the material (by summarizing and analyzing the material or negotiating differing opinions), but they are developing major communication skills and a confidence and joy in working with people. How do you work collaborative learning into your classroom? We found some amazing activities to give you some ideas! Friendship art We found this fun craft via Play Teach Repeat where 6 or more students create a collaborative piece of art, and then have the option of taking home a piece for themselves.  All you'll need are some basic art materials and you have a colorful & collaborative lesson plan! Nature Weaving What an awesome idea! This collaborative activity not only gets the kids outside, but weaving requires some thinking and communication. You can find lots of examples of this online, but we love this one from Figment Creative Labs. Popsicle Stick Bridges This fun #STEAM challenge is sure to get your students communicating and working together. Give them a roll of tape and 25 popsicle sticks and have them build the strongest, most aesthetically pleasing bridge that crosses the gap between two desks.  Visit The Ardent Teacher for details. Cooperative Obstacle Courses Instead of encouraging competition, try setting up a cooperative obstacle course. Perfect for a rainy day! Pair up your students, blind fold one and have the other guide their partner through the obstacle course. This will help kids practice being the leader, but also being the listener! Head to What Can We Do With Paper and Glue. Create a Mural Murals are such a great way to get every student involved. If your school has a blank and open wall - ask your school's art teacher and your principal. What better way to show students working together than a massive piece of artwork made by all of them? What are some of your favorite #CollaborativeLearning activities? Let us know in the comments, email flowers@youareagardener.com, or tag us @youareagardener - we would love to see how you promote communication and cooperation in your classroom! Don't forget to #PullYourWeeds! We'll see you next time :)