Posted in Workboxes

As I was reading friend's blogs last week, I found a great idea on Candace's blog.  Not only did it look easy and fun - it fit with what we are studying this week!  How cool is that?  This is the site with the original instructions. 

Daniel is reading The Little Rabbit and the tie in would be grass that a rabbit eats.  Isaiah and Joshua are studying Climbing Kansas Mountains which is a story about a grain elevator (the mountain).  Sprouting grains is an obvious connection. 

I love it when gathering the ingredients is fairly easy.  Well, there is one ingredient that may not be easy for everyone.  It is grain.  Since we grind our own (or I used to be better about doing this), we have large buckets full of it!

First we soaked the grain for 8 hours, draining the water at the half-way point and refilling with fresh water.  Isaiah was so excited and wanted to be very precise in his measurements.  I just wanted the grains covered, but he happily accepted a specific number so that he could do it right!

After the grains has soaked, we drained out the water and started afresh.  First we added a layer of sand to the bottom of the jar.  This to help with overzealous watering.  We definitely had that!  Next a layer of soil several inches deep.  Finally the grains on top.  Just a layer to cover the soil, not too deep so it doesn't mold.

daniel loves to have his own jar to do along with the bigger boys.

This is a view from the beginning.

 By the second day, we had shoots.  What is also really neat is that you can see the roots in the jars too!

After 5-6 days, just look how much it has grown!

And here is a look at 8 days.  Note the squirt bottle beside the plants.  I bought this at the dollar store and the boys have used it faithfully to water their plants.  Some a little more vigorously than others.  LOL 

What a satisfying experiment.  We can easily see changes each day, and even within a couple of hours!!!  It's been a lot of fun and I highly recommend doing this one!

Blessings

Leslie