School may be out for the summer, but the Littles and I love to learn all year ‘round. Check out this fun project we did to incorporate literacy, art, and science!

Have you read “The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle?

Eric Carle is my FAVORITE author and illustrator! The Littles and I love everything about his books from the brightly colored pictures to his simply sweet, yet educational stories. The Tiny Seed is certainly no different. In this book, we learn about the plant life cycle as the tiny seed travels around the world after being carried from its flower home by the autumn wind.

If you’re not familiar with the story, listen as it is read aloud (with some beautiful background music) here: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle (YouTube) You can also order a copy of this book for your little ones for under $3 from Amazon!

Painted flowerpots:

Inspired by the illustrations of Eric Carle, we decided to create some artwork of our own. I picked up some simple clay pots from my local Lowe’s for only $0.78 each. Then we used non-toxic, quick-drying acrylic paint and large paintbrushes. The Littles were free to use as many or as few colors as their hearts desired.

I couldn’t help but to get in on the fun, too! I opted for a patriotic themed pot in honor of Independence Day weekend.

Planting seeds:

Before we began this project, I did some research to see which seeds would be the quickest to sprout. I didn’t want the Littles to lose interest, so I opted to purchase radish, lettuce, and zinnia seeds, as they are likely to begin germinating within a few days. If you’re interested in other seeds to plant with your littles, check out this website: Which Seeds Will Germinate Fastest?

We planted our seeds using Jiffy biodegradable seedling starter pots and Miracle Grow Potting Mix (soil). These are completely optional; however, I opted to use the starter pots so we could easily transport the seedlings outdoors later. This will also allow us to continue reusing our painted clay pots with minimal mess to clean up!

Once our seeds were planted and well-watered, the only thing left to do was set them where they will get plenty of sunlight!

This was a simple, creative, and inexpensive project that will bring even more excitement once our seeds begin to sprout!

What is your favorite summer learning adventure? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!