Use Your Backyard as a Math and Science Lab!

The garden is a place for growing flowers, chasing butterflies…even impromptu tag. But you can slip some learning in without drawing too much attention to yourself. Spring has sprung and summer’s coming fast. It’s the perfect time to plant a seed.

Take a quick trip to the local nursery to gather supplies. Make a list ahead of time of some kid-friendly candidates, such as beans, peas, gourds, beets, and sunflowers. The key thing to remember is you want big seeds (easy for little hands to handle), speedy growth, and fun factor (like edible pods or seeds, showy flowers, or quirky shapes).

Now that you’ve got your loot, take it home; spread a blanket or towel near your vegetable garden, flower patch, or just a container pot with soil. Mix in a little fertilizer and show your preschooler how to press the seed in gently, cover it lightly with soil, and pat it down lightly with a shovel or trowel.

She should water it each day until a seedling sprouts and luckily with these plants, that won’t take but a week, max. But since you’re in the garden, you might as well take advantage of the view. Ask your child to help you count how many petals are on a particular flower, or how many leaves or tomatoes are on a particular plant. Count the rows of plants in the garden, and the number of plants in each row. Kids love tools, especially sharp ones! With supervision, ask your child to help you cut a particular number of flowers, or pull a particular number of fruits or vegetables from the plant. All these probing questions and suggestions help kids realize that math is all around us!