How to Create a Mini-Garden in Small Spaces with Your Kids This Summer

Creative Ways to Garden in Small Spaces

Now that school is out and spring here, it is the perfect time to think about gardening. Gardening can be fun as well as relaxing for both you and your children. With rising prices at the grocery store, it can also be a great way to save money. Growing your own vegetables and herbs can help you put money back into your budget. Gardening is also a great way to teach your kids about responsibility and self-reliance.

If you are thinking about planting a vegetable or herb garden, you’ll need the space to do it. If you want to grow herbs and vegetables but you only have a limited amount of space in which you can use, here are some creative ways to start a garden with your kids in a small space this summer.

Flower Pots or Planters

Flower pots don’t have to just be for flowers. They can also be used to grow vegetables and herbs as well. If you crunched for space, these pots could make the ideal home for single plants like lettuce, onions, beets, and carrots. Just be sure to check to make sure that you are planting these items in season. Late April and May the perfect times for planting the vegetables mentioned above. Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, chives, mint, and basil are all great plants and herbs to plant during June.

You may want to plant a variety of vegetables and herbs, so be sure to check with your local extension agency or farm bureau to find out when is the right time to each plant.

Planters are no laughing matter. Many of them come in a variety of designs that can make your home or small garden space look great.

One of the best things about using flower pots to grow your plants in is that you can keep your plants indoors or outdoors. Of course, you will want to check to see how much sunlight each plant will require to ensure that they thrive. Again, I suggest checking with your local farming agency or other resource.

I’ve used flower pots myself to grow herbs and tomatoes in, and I was pleased with the flexibility this method of planting offered me. I didn’t have to worry about going outside to check on plants. They were safely inside of my own home.  

Flower pots are not the same as having a full-blown garden. However, they worked just as good for single plants.

Use boxes

Who said you have to throw those used boxes away? Make those old boxes do double duty by turning them into a mini garden. Depending on the size of the box, you could probably plant more than one vegetable inside. Line the bottom of your box to prevent water and soil from leaking onto your floors. Be sure to choose the correct soil in which to plant your plants in.

 Check to make sure that you have added enough soil to your plants especially if they will be outside. You also want to make sure that water has a way to drain so that it doesn’t get stuck inside the box and harm your plants.

Sunlight is also important. Plants have to receive the correct amount of sunlight in order to flourish. This calls for research on your part. A quick online search can usually tell you how much sunlight you will need to expose your plants to.

Again, these “box gardens” can be kept inside or outside. Best of all, these boxes won’t take up a lot of space.

Raised Gardens

Raised gardens are also a wonderful way to grow plants in small spaces. You and your kids can construct one of your own with material from your local Lowes or other hardware store, or you can easily purchase one in a store or online.

A raised garden doesn’t take up a lot of space, and it can provide you and your kids with a way to have fresh herbs and vegetables when you don’t have much space to work with. You do have to make sure that you use the correct mix of soil. A good rule of thumb is not to use the dirt from outside. You will need to purchase the correct mix to begin your gardening adventure.

Another plus to using a raised garden is that you can also utilize the bottom of the garden. The bottom portion can be used to hold small flower pots and other planters. This will help you to make the most of the small space in which you have.

Raised Planter

Similar to a raised garden is a raised planter. The raised planter provides the same easy maintenance as raised garden but with an added bonus. It eliminates the problem of having to bend over to tend to the plants. This is wonderful news for people who have bad backs and want to still grow a small garden. Also, weeds and other fuzzy creatures are keep away from your vegetables and herbs when you chose to use a raised planter or a raised garden.

Planters can even be tiered. This tiered system enables you to plant several small rows at one time. They are ideal for growing plants or herbs vertically on balconies, decks, patios, or inside your home.

Raised planters can also be constructed or purchased from one of the local stores that carry gardening and hardware supplies. You can also opt to purchase one from an online store.

Portable Greenhouse

A portable greenhouse can be just the thing to help get your garden started. Of course, a mini greenhouse is not for long term use, but it is ideal for getting your plants started when you are confined to a small space.

Portable greenhouses then to come with shelves that are adjustable so that you can accommodate your plants as they grow. They also come with special made plastic covering that works to keep the warmth from the sunlight inside of the mini greenhouse.

Walls, Ceilings, and Windows

Another place to plant vegetable and herbs are in plants that attach to the sides of the wall. They are several ways to do this.

You can purchase bracket and hanger, and then you can use them to create a way to secure your potted or hanging plants to your home's walls. These can be used inside or outside.

Trellis can also be used as a station for potted plants. They can be staked to the ground, hung on your wall, or stand they can alone in your garden area. This will provide you a simple area on which to hang several plants in pots.

Don’t forget to look up. You and your kids can hang plants from your ceiling or other area where you can attach a hanging basket. You can plant single plants or herbs inside these baskets.

Do you lack the space for a full-blown garden? Do you still want to grow some vegetables and herbs? Then, get creative and utilize your flower pots, planters, large boxes, and mini green houses to grow your own tiny garden.

Teachable Moment: Trip to the Veterinarian

Every moment can be a teachable moment. Even a simple trip to the veterinarian’s office can become a teaching moment. It doesn’t matter if you are a teacher or a parent, you can use a visit to the local vet as a way to teach your children simple, valuable, and educational lessons.

Responsibility

A trip to the veterinarian is a great time to teach your kids about being responsible. Pets take a lot of responsibility. They need to be feed. They need water. They need adequate shelter. Plus, as a pet owner, you need to make sure that your pet is well-cared for. It should be explained that once pets are sick that they need to be taken to the vet for treatment.

Life cycles

All things go through a life cycle. Pets are no exception. While you are visiting the veterinarian, you can talk to your child about the different stages of life. You can begin by discussing the stage of life that your pet is in. From there, you can begin discussing the other stages of life of your pet.

You don’t have to stop there. You can also begin to discuss the lifecycle of the other animals.

Germs and Parasites

Germs are everywhere. They are a part of an everyday life. And, your children should know they exist. Since Covid-19 came onto the scene, children are more aware of the dangers of virus. However, take the opportunity to discuss their existence along with parasites.  Explain how both can contribute to sickness and disease. You can take a book about bacteria, viruses, and parasites along with you to help you explain.

Writing Activities

Writing is always a great way to get students to better understand a topic. After your trip to the veterinarian’s office, you can have your child, or your students do some writing. Your child can write an expository essay explaining the importance of pet care. Your child can also explain proper pet care. Your child can also compose a narrative about taking his/her pet to the vet.

A trip to the vet can be a great opportunity to teach your child something new or reinforce older skills.  

Preparing for State Tests

The school year is moving rapidly along, and spring is on the horizon. With spring comes state tests. If you work in a public school, then you know the drama that goes along with this: sleepless nights, analyzing data, becoming a motivational speaker for your students, and  of course, planning, planning, and more planning.

This is when I like to do some reviewing with my kids. I like to hit the objectives hot and heavy.  I also make sure that I incorporate a lot of games because my middle school students get bored just talking about testing. I do vocabulary games, spelling games, and comprehension games. Making these games does take time, but I can often find text that I can use to create reading comprehension questions with. When I'm in a real crunch, I just purchase a few items from Teachers Pay Teachers and keep it moving.

Here are some to the games that me and my sensational six graders are using to get ready: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/I-Have-Who-HasVocabulary-Game-for-Middle-School-Students-Set-7-3661372?aref=ddn88ew6




https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Scoot-for-Upper-Elementary-Middle-School-Students-Set-3-3024013



Here's games are quick and easy. Plus, they help me keep my kiddos from getting bored (Me, too!)



I know I don't teach 3rd grade. However, once I looked at the reading test that our state gives, I noticed some of the questions were very similar to the ones that are given my middle school students. So, I made this quick little reading comprehension set to help out the 3rd grade students and my middle school students. It works great. Plus, I get to use it as part of my social studies lesson since it is about pirates.

Back to School Preparations

Back to School Preparation

Sadly, Ladies and Gentlemen, school is getting ready to start again. I hope you are ready. I am not. However, here are some things that I am doing to get ready for the crazy back to school rush.

1.   I am creating and posting rules for my classroom.

2.   I am creating my rubrics for my classroom journals and homework.

3.   I have cleaned my room and began organizing my papers so that I can find them more easily.

4.   I have started getting my student journals ready.

5.   I have created my bellringers and printed them off for the first 2 weeks of school. (Bellringers are so time consuming! I make them early so that I am not so stressed later.)

6.   I have created my back to school brochure for Parent Night.

7.   I have created my spelling, vocabulary, and sight word list for the 1^st 9 weeks.

8.   I am trying to get my body back used to school hours.

9.   I am doing my rating on TpT so that I can have some extra money for the TpT back to school sale.

10.                I am posting products for the back to school sale.

 

 

So, what are you doing?

Summer School Fun

Summer School Super Fun Time

Okay. I know I said I won’t do it again, but I did. I worked summer school this year. I had an awesome time with the new 3^rd grade students. Here are some fun things that we did during the month of June.

I love watermelons. So, I had the kiddos design their own watermelon as part of a craft activity.

Next, they got to color a picture of a watermelon. Then, they had to write about their favorite summer food.

 

 

We also sailed into summer with this cute craft. We also wrote down some of the things we planned to do this summer.

 

We also did some math this summer. We did some rounding and multiplication.

These are in my TpT store:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reading-Problems-Rounding-for-Lower-Elementary-Students-Worksheets-2604175

I also have other worksheets that I created just for my summer school babies.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dinosaur-Themed-Word-Problems-Multiplication-Task-Cards-2622188

 

Stay tuned for more from our summer school adventures!!!

 

Bad Grades: Things Parents Shouldn't Do

Things NOT to Do When Your Child Has a Bad Grade

So, your child has a bad grade. Whether it is on a progress report or a report card, there is nothing like the sting of seeing that “D” or “F”. Just as there are a lot of things that you can do to help improve your child’s grade, there are some things that you DON’T DO if you want to help.

Negative Talk

The biggest mistake parents can make when their child has a bad grade is to talk negatively about the child’s teacher. It is so easy to become upset with the teacher and start mouthing off to friends, neighbors, co-workers, your child, and even other teachers who work with the offending teacher. However, this will not help the situation. In fact, it will only help to exacerbate the situation.

The truth is the teacher is not out to get your child. Chances are good that the teacher is also a parent~just like you. He/She is not childish enough to “give” your child a failing grade. Grades have to be record in grade books and turned in to the school office and the state department of education. So, instead of opening your mouth, try talking to the teacher to see what the problem is. Ask your child to explain to you why he/she received the failing mark. Check your child’s grades. And, let’s be honest. Your child’s teacher is human too. Your negative remarks will more than most likely reach his or her ears. Although the teacher won’t intentionally fail your child, he/she WILL NOT offer him or her any extra help or assistance.

Intimidation Doesn’t Work

Why…oh, why do so many parents feel obligated to get on social media and degrade the teacher? Parents, what you are doing is called slander. So, what if you know who the teacher is dating or where he or she hangs out after school hours? The teacher’s job is to educate your child. It is not to cater to your whims. Your threats and malicious gossip will only backfire in the long run. It will not help your child’s grades, and it can possibly land you in court if the teacher decides to pursue the issue. It also makes you look petty.

Do Not Support Your Child’s Bad Behavior

Okay, let’s face it. Most students who have bad grades are behavioral problems…not all but most. Why? Because when a student is confused or can’t keep up, he tends to act out. As a parent, make it a point to get the whole story. Don’t just assume Little Johnny is telling the truth. Find out what is going on in the classroom from the teacher, your child, the principal, and other teachers if possible. Get a clear view of the situation.

No one is perfect. Bad grades can happen to even the smartest students from time to time. What’s important is how you react to those grades as a parent. You are the key to your child’s success. You are also your child’s primary role model. So, instead of displaying negative behavior that can backfire in the long run, put your best foot forward. Work with your child’s teacher to improve his or her grades.

Relieving Mid-Year Teacher Stress

Relieving Mid-Year Teacher Stress:

Here we are again. School is in full swing, and if you are like me, you are feeling just a little stressed. Normal, right? Well, yes, it is normal. No, you can’t control your students’ lack of motivation, the number of state or district tests they take, but you can control you. You can control how you react to that stress and how you allow it to affect you. Here are some of my favorite tips on beating teacher stress.

Keep It Separate

          I know it’s hard, but keep your personal life and your school life separate. Sounds impossible I know. However, it can be done. How? Simple. Quit dragging that pile of work home. Pick 2 days out of the week that you are willing to give up to work on school things like grading papers, creating tests and/or games, and doing lesson planning. The other nights should be left open for your family and your sanity.

Go to Bed

          There is a time and a place for all things. One of those things is called sleep. Go to bed on time. Put those papers down. Put the book down. Turn off the television and go to sleep. Your body will thank you. Your students will thank you. Your spouse will thank you. Your brains cells need this time to recharge. You will also discover that you get few colds if you adhere to a set bed time. No, I don’t mean go to bed at midnight and get up at 4:00 A.M. I mean get those 7 to 8 hours of sleep. So, lights out.

Healthy Snacking

          Okay, I’m guilty. You need a boost of energy. So, you grab those chips or that carbonated soda. Next thing you know, you feel sluggish and you have put on 10 extra pounds. Was it worth it? No! That quick snack cost you. Dear Teacher, please try to have healthy snacks on hand. Stop grabbing those energy drinks and sodas. Instead, grab a healthy snack like nuts, cheese, or fruit. This will help to keep your blood sugar levels stable, your mood stable, and your waistline from bulging.

Know When to Say When

          You just have to grade one more set of papers. You need just a few more minutes to finish that report. That game is going to be so wonder when you finish it. And, you can’t leave the room in such a mess. You just need to finish tidying up before you head home. Stop right there!!! You are overloading your schedule. Stop it. Stop it. Walk away from those papers. Log off the computer. Walk away. Say when.That one more little thing will turn into 2 more little things, and then it will turn into 3 more little things. Stop and walk away. Those papers will be there tomorrow. The janitor is there to assist you. Save yourself some stress. Just walk away.

          Now, teacher, take a deep breath. Remember what I told you and de-stress!