Keeping a toddler busy can sometimes be a mission, especially on rainy days. There is only so much coloring, painting, and play-doh making you can do before the restlessness kicks in. Now my 2 1/2 year old tells me she’s bored! I’m not surprised, she’s just like her mama, but really?!? BORED? So I have to come up with creative new things to do when we can’t get out. She started expressing interest in growing a garden, but living in the city creates a challenge for that project – we have a small 5 x 10 ft patch of “land” that really can’t grow much of anything due to limited sunlight. Now the creativity has to kick in!
When I was younger, my mom (the science teacher) taught me how to make my own greenhouse with a plastic soda bottle, some dirt, and of course a plant. The greenhouse would create a rainforest effect and take care of itself in its enclosed system. It was actually fascinating and won me first prize during a science fair! DuneCraft has come up with a fun and easy way for kids to create their own mini greenhouses while also teaching them about healthy eating and growing your own food. I had the opportunity to review three of their products including the Herb Garden, sugar baby watermelon, and organic green beans.
My toddler called these her beanstalk beans!
My toddler had fun “growing” the soil, which started off as a round flat disk and expanded with some water to fill up the entire container it was meant for. After her soil expanded, it was time to get planting! I made little holes for each seed and she dropped them in then covered them up. She loved getting her hands dirty! Once the seeds were in place, it was time to close up the greenhouses and wait- the hardest part. How do you explain to a toddler that it will take a few days for the seeds to sprout, and a few weeks to see anything forming? I tried my best to explain it to her, but she insisted on checking back every few hours to see if there was progress. Thankfully, within just a few days she was able to see little leaves coming up and got excited that her plants were growing.
Check out our projects:
The culinary herb garden. I always need parsley and basil for various recipes so even though the kit came with many herbs, I decided to just grow these two for now.
The sugar baby watermelons. Very excited to plant these in the yard once they are mature enough!
Organic Green Beans are planted in a biodegradable pot, so we had to use a bigger pot while it is spending this stage indoors. After that we can plant it with the planter it came with!
Progress in just a few days!
I love these kits! They come with everything you need to get started and they truly are an educational tool for younger children. I highly recommend checking out the rest of the DuneCraft product line! They have so much to offer for any age! Their kits even make great gifts!
A Time Out for Mommy Review Disclosure: I was provided (free of charge) with the featured item(s) by the manufacturer or its PR agency to review the product and give my personal opinion of it. The opinions expressed above are my own thoughts and have not been influenced by monetary compensation.