Hello Gardeners! We don't know about you, but all of us on the Gardening Team have been making an effort to read more while staying at home. Dedicating 30 minutes to one hour to reading every day is a great way to help our kids (and ourselves) minds stay sharp! If that time frame seems a little too ambitious, pick an amount of time that seems doable for your family and grow from there! Today we have a craft to help encourage more reading time - Mr. Fox Bookmarks! This particular craft is a bit more challenging, as there are a lot of small cuts to be made - you may want to do this with your older gardeners OR precut everything for the younger ones. Here's what you will need: Construction paper (White, Black, Orange) Scissors Glue Googly eyes (optional) First, cut a thin strip of your orange paper and a slightly thinner strip of your white paper. Cut the white strip down by about 1/3 and round the corners. Next, cut off the top of your orange strip so you have a rectangle that outlines the white piece and a square piece. Cut off the bottom corners of your square so you have pentagon-like shape. Using your scissors, shape the pentagon shape into the fox head - soften the bottom edges and outline the ears at the top (remember, it doesn't need to be perfect!). Then, using a small piece of your white paper, outline the shape of your fox head with a pencil and cut out the shape. Then cut out a triangular shape to form the cheeks of the fox. Take a minute to glue everything down! Roughly center your white rectangle on your orange rectangle and glue the white cheeks to your orange head. Using a small rectangle of orange, cut out the little legs - remember to leave enough room at the bottom to glue! Glue them right above the top of the white rectangle. Then, glue the fox head on top of where you glued the leg piece. Using scissors, trim the orange rectangle to create the shoulders. Last but not least, cut out a nose and eyes (or use googly eyes) and glue in place. Let it dry fully and there you have it! We love this craft because it . . . . . . is a great focus activity. All of the small cuts, placement, and instructions require focused attention! . . . is a challenging fine motor skills task. There are so many little things to cut out and glue. If you are looking to challenge your gardener, this one's for you! . . . creates excitement about reading! Having a fun bookmark may engage a young gardener to snuggle up to a good book! Need a book to read? Grab your signed copy of You Are A Gardener here! And as always, don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Weekends are for gardening 🌱 and today we are spreading some seeds all the way to Oceanside, CA 😎 It is always so rewarding to see our roots grow #NJtoCA When our author/creator Shanna Truffini wrote a poem one night in the spring of 2017 called You Are a Gardener™ she instantly felt something take root. As if every path she had ever traveled, every person she had ever met and every experience she had encountered (both positive and negative) had led her to this moment. Fast forward to the present day, that poem became a printed book, that book inspired a social and emotional learning (SEL) program for elementary schools, Shanna's children created their own video series called Hello Gardeners and the #PullYourWeeds blog became an online destination for families and teachers to use as a resource to keep kids happy, active and engaged. If you would like to learn more about the You Are a Gardener™ programs and how you can help spread some seeds please send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com 🌱

Hello Gardeners! Today on the blog we have a craft that is not only fun & colorful, but is made using recyclables, and is 100% frameable - it's a Stamped Recyclable Print! Hanging your children's art on the wall in your home shows them their creative efforts are valued, it builds their confidence and a beautiful expression of how proud you are of them! Here is what you'll need: Textured recyclables - we chose bubble wrap, packing peanuts, cardboard, and takeout containers, pretty much all the stuff that we've accumulated during the stay-at-home order thus far! Paint - choose colors that will compliment the decor of your home Paper - choose a size that is easy to frame (5x7, 8x10, 10x10) Painters tape - an artist trick to making work look frame-ready! First things first, gather your recyclables! Bubble wrap is a really fun one to print! Then, tape your paper to your working surface. Leave a big border or a small one - but taping off the edges gives a sort of faux-mat to the page! Mix your colors and start stamping! Then, when you're ready, carefully peel up the tape and let your work dry! There you have it! A beautiful, frameable print - the perfect craft to gift to Mom or to send to the loved ones you miss spending time with. We love that this craft because it: Teaches gardeners about repurposing materials! Reusing makes us more resourceful which is an invaluable trait! Cultivates creative decision-making skills. Whether it's arrangement, color choice, patterns, etc. creative decision-making instills confidence in young gardeners! Encourages self-expression. Art is inherently expressive, but working in the abstract challenges us to convey emotions through form, color, and arrangement! Gather up those excess packing materials, grab some paint, and start making. We can't wait to see what you create! Stay strong, gardeners! #TheFutureIsBright!

Hello Gardeners! We may be losing track of what day it is, but we certainly cannot forget that Mother's Day is coming up! And because this Spring has been *slightly* different than years previous, let's make it as special as we possibly can! Whether you are celebrating Mom, Grandma, or a maternal figure in your life - there are so many ways to honor the women we love. Start with a homemade card. Here is a fool-proof, flower stamp card! All you'll need is: A straw or piece of string (or something similar!) Cardboard Tissue paper Tape Paint First, cut your cardboard piece in half. Next, tape your straw or string onto one piece of your cardboard so that it resembles a flower stem. On the other piece of cardboard, tape small pieces of paper so that it forms a textured circle. Then, paint your "stem" green and stamp on a folded piece of paper. After that, dip or paint your textured tissue paper circle in a bright color of paint and stamp that piece on the top of the stem. Allow your stamped paper to dry and be sure to write a nice note to Mom inside OR make her a bunch and give to her as a Mother's Day gift! This #PullYourWeeds approved craft: encourages resourcefulness! Reduce, reuse, recycle 🌱 ♻️ 🌎 helps us think ahead! Thinking about the shape you want to create forces you to think about how to arrange your stamp! boosts creativity! Mix your own colors, create a variety of textures, experiment with placement. Make her breakfast You can never go wrong with breakfast in bed! Try our Flower Pancakes to make Mom feel extra special! Help give Mom the day of relaxation she deserves. Whether that means giving her a day to put up her feet, letting her choose how the whole family spends the day, or helping her create the day SHE wants - it's all about her! Happy Mother's Day gardeners! Stay positive, #TheFutureIsBright!

Send somebody flowers today 🌸 and we don’t mean literal flowers. Random acts of kindness can bring so much joy to someone’s day. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while, write your grandmother a letter, drop off a gift or treat at someone’s doorstep. There are so many little things you can do that can make such a big impact, like this delightful self-care package Anna found in our mailbox today from our sweet friend Leah of @homemadehappinessbyleah 🛁 This thoughtful gesture had Anna blooming with excitement all day long 💐 #RandomActsOfKindness Here are some other fun random acts of kindness kids can do: Write positive messages in chalk around your neighborhood. Go through your old toys and donate ones you no longer play with. Donate clothes to charity and leave a joyful note in the pocket. Clean up litter in a local park. Set the table for dinner without being asked. Give 3 people a compliment today. Read a book to someone. Make your bed when you wake up in the morning. Leave painted rocks with positive messages around town. Teach someone something new. Teaching kids to be kind and perform selfless acts can create feelings of self-worth and belonging as well as a feeling of optimism and excitement.

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!