A Bird and a Bean

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grow your name with wheatgrass

by 8 Comments


I saw this idea in Family Fun and thought it seemed super fun and Spring-y. So we tried it and it was a big hit with everyone (even the chickens). Family Fun must have used larger cookie cutters or a more dense layer of seeds because the grass in their picture is much fuller than ours. But ours still worked and turned out cute. 🙂


I didn’t have any wheat berries on hand so I picked some up on the last trip to the health food store. I got that whole bag of for $1.49! We did this project, planted some for another project (Easter centerpieces – stay tuned for that), sprouted a mason jar full to eat in sandwiches AND made a yummy wheat berry salad. AND I still have over half the bag left over! Amazing stuff. And good for you too!
To grow your name (or any other shape you can think of)…..
You need:

  • Wheat berry seeds (available at natural food stores)
  • Bowl of water
  • Shallow, rimmed tray or baking pan
  • Potting soil, moistened
  • Letter cookie cutters (optional)





What you do:
1. Soak the wheat berries overnight.
2. Fill the tray with moist potting soil. Push cookie cutters into the soil and have your child arrange the seeds in one even layer inside the cookie cutter. Gently press them into the soil.
3. Mist the soil to keep them moist. Don’t pour water directly onto them until the roots are established. Place in a sunny window and they should sprout with in a few days and last for weeks.


Press cookie cutters into soil.
Make a dense layer of seeds inside the cookie cutters.
Spray with water.
Eat some dirt and try hard to spray the seeds.
Help your little brother spray his seeds since he can’t quite figure out the spray bottle.
Accidentally spray your sister while trying to spray the seeds.
Immediately get in a hilarious spray fight.
Spray the house.
Spray yourself.
Smile.

Variations:

Grass Letters

Instead of growing your child’s name in a tray, you can use cookie cutters to create a letter-shaped topiary with visible roots. Set the cookie cutters in a tray, fill them almost to the top with potting soil, then cover the surface with wheat berry seeds that have been soaked in water overnight. Gently push the seeds into the soil. Pour a thin puddle of water into the tray to keep the soil moist, and set the tray in a sunny window. Once the seeds have sprouted and the roots are established, pick up the cookie cutters and gently pop out the letters.





Bonus : Giving the grass a haircut = practicing scissor skills!

Bonus Bonus: The chickens think a pan full of dirt and grass is a great treat even though they can’t read.

Comments

  3. Cranberry Morning says

    oh. and that reminds me: we are thinking of getting chickens. Did you get yours as little chicks? and which breeds did you find were the least flighty and cranky? I want to get sweet, tolerant chickens, not ones that will terrify me when i go to collect eggs. Any advice?

    Reply

  5. erin says

    Thanks guys!
    @Cranberry Morning! Chickens are so fun! I love showing the kids a connection to where their food comes from. We got them just over a year ago as chicks. We have one Barred Rock (she’s the most sweet and tame and my fave) one Americana (she lays blueish eggs and is the most curious and follows us around -my three year old’s favorite) and two bantams (Duccle Millie Fluer)(They are kind of skiddish, but so cute and small, once you catch them they will let you just carry them around all day (my 2 year old’s favorite!)
    Send me an e-mail with any questions. I have been doing serious chicken research for two years! 🙂

    Reply

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