: Earthworms :

Earthworms are one of nature's wiggly wonders. Kids love to hold them in their hands.

They love to watch them move around and disappear magically into the dirt.

And kids love to discover the unseen; what goes on beneath the soil.

We filled a large jar (one that does not have ripples works better) full of moist soil. We gathered several earthworms from around our house and put them in the soil. We covered the jar and wrapped it tightly with a towel, safety pinning it. After a day or so, we unwrapped it and looked at all the trails and earthworms themselves. The boys thoroughly enjoyed watching what happens underground in the earthworm community.

Then Jared decided to take it a step further and sew a felt earthworm...it was his idea. So, I cut out two earthworm peices and he stitched away.

: Milk Jug Flower Pot :

There seems to be a theme here at Busy Hands..we keep making flower pots! 'Tis the season for flowers and pots and Moms...... We have also been on a reusing recycleables kick lately. We utilized half of a milk jug, scrap fabric, glue, a paint brush, a strip of felt, and some Mod Podge.

We cut pieces of fabric and brushed glue all over the sides of the jug. Then, my young one created a fabric collage.

He helped me put on the felt strip around the edges after we brushed the area generously with our glue. Then, we allowed everything to dry completely.

We brushed on a coat of Mod Podge to seal our pot decor and let that dry. He went to the garden and filled the pot with dirt and planted some lettuce seeds for me. Thanks, Jared. :)

Enjoy this project. It is a great way to reuse, create a colorful collage, and give a lovely gift to someone you really love. Happy Mother's Day!

: Gem Flower Pot :

Mother's Day is right around the corner. What better way to celebrate the love of Mom than by making her a special gift. Your little ones can help you make an inexpensive, festive gem flower pot to give Mom something to celebrate spring and gardening with.

My preschooler picked out the colors of gems and I grabbed a white pot, all from the dollar store. I applied hot glue and Jared applied them onto the pot, gem by gem. Instant drying, instant gratification. These colors actually make the pot feel very oceanic. Use any colors you like. Plant tomatos, flowers, herbs, or anything you can think of, and give Mom a beautiful sprouting plant in her new stylish pot.

: Cozy Cardboard Cottage :

Celebrate Earth Day by making a carboard box cottage with your child. I got this idea from Sweet Fancy who created a quaint gift box out of hers. We decided to make ours a bit different.

My preschooler and I used a small cardboard box, packaging tape, scissors, scraps of fabric, and a gluestick. We guided eachother as to what we would include and he had the final say as to how it would be done. He wanted a window with shutters above, a dog house, grass all the way around, a red door similar to Sweet Fancy's, spring-inspired curtains, a dog house, and a bicycle, although we compromised and decided on a ball this time around. He also picked out the fabric and helped with gluing.

On the side of the house we made somewhat of an English garden with very full rosebushes (also to cover the ugly packaging sticker on that side). In the backyard, he decided on a garden and told me we needed a brown strip of ground for what was going to be the vegetable garden and ended up being the flower patch. We added windows and designed a yellow kiddie pool similar to the one we have.

Have fun and get creative reusing a packaging box. By the way, you will need a little more cardboard to make the roof because the existing long flaps will not be long enough. You can paint it, use construction paper or use fabric as we did. We like the fabric because it creates a rich, lively feeling and it has a better quality when touched. By all means, add your own personal touches when decorating your house. Fun to make and satisfying to look at again and again.

: Transforming Egg Cartons Into Seed Starters :

'Tis time to start gardening! There is nothing like the gratitude children get when they plant seeds and can watch them grow into plants that can further gratify by producing tasty, colorful food. This project from Growing Up Creative is great for Earth Day. It is biodegradable, it prevents the unnecessary purchase of supplies, and it is fun for the kids.

 My 2-year-old practiced scooping soil into each nook of his egg carton, while my preschooler carefully distributed soil to his own. He chose several different seeds from which to choose, including romanesco broccoli and 6 different types of heirloom tomatoes. He planted them and covered them with more soil, and we kept track by him drawing grids of his egg carton that are now hanging just above them. Lastly, we watered each little pod and covered it with a cutout from a plastic bag. Within a week we will be seeing some progress.