Plant corn in a pattern to reveal the first letter of the child's name. It will provide them with the opportunity to do some real gardening with fairly speedy results - and stimulate a discussion on cereal crops.
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How long will it take?
45 to 50 minutes. This project is best in spring or summer.
What you will need
- a patch of garden
- some gardening tools
- mixed corn from the pet shop
Step-by-step guide
1 First your children need to dig over the soil to break it up. They should rake it smooth, but without pulling the soil off the patch.
2 Ask your children to draw their initial in the soil using a stick, making it at least 50cm (1.6ft) from top to bottom.
3 Ask them to make a shallow but wide planting drill around their letter. A drill is the name for the hole gardeners make when they plant seeds in a row.
4 Then they should sprinkle the mixed corn seed in the drill. They can plant it quite close together.
5 Tell them to cover the corn seed with soil, gently pat it down, then water the letter shape.
6 Their corn should germinate quite quickly. Take a photo of it a day or two after it has sprouted, to show their letter really clearly.
7 They can leave the corn in the ground; it will grow and produce ears of corn in the summer.
Tips and advice
- Wet hard ground to make it easier to dig over.
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