Back to Basics Literacy
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Back to Basics
    • Contact Us
  • Reading Aloud
    • Research
    • Book Lists >
      • Ballet Books
      • Board Books
      • Alphabet Books
      • Number Books
      • Interactive & Sensory Books
      • Manners & Etiquette Books
      • Stories about Books, Reading & Libraries
      • Fables, Folktales & Fairy Tales
      • Nursery Rhymes & Poetry
      • Holiday Books
      • Graduation Books
      • Baking & Cooking Books
      • Gardening & Farm Books
      • Nature Books
      • Thankfulness & Gratitude Books
      • Pirate Books
      • Books Discussed in Our Handbook
    • Workshops
    • Literacy Events & Attractions
  • Bookworm Bakers
  • Blog
  • Shop
    • Toy Recommendations

 Back to Basics

Reading and cooking with kids

May Your Days Bloom!

5/17/2020

0 Comments

 
*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
Picture
     As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers, so now is the time to get out in the yard and plant some sunny blooms that not only attract the butterflies and bees but also brightens up a world that certainly needs some happy colors at this time.
     Children and nature is a great combination building physically healthier children with a stronger immune system. Being outdoors also improves sensory skills, increases attention span and aids in social/emotional development. One way to spend time outdoors is in a flower garden, which then can be brought indoors. Bringing the outdoors in with flowers is a wonderful way to add color and fragrance to a room but flowers can also be added to a meal and what child doesn‘t love to pick flowers? Edible flowers often taste like they smell so try some different varieties to find what you like. Just remember that not all flowers are edible so be sure to do a bit of research first. Some edible varieties to include might be:
  • Arugula Flowers: Peppery flavor, just like arugula leaves. Use in salads or other savory dishes.
  • Chive Blossoms: Delicate, oniony flavor. Use whole flowers or separate the individual petals.
  • Hibiscus: Tart and sweet. Often used in teas, and salads.
  • Jasmine: Very sweet, floral fragrance and flavor. Use in teas or desserts.
  • Lavender: Floral flavor that's perfume-y and faintly citrusy. Use in teas, desserts, or other baked goods.
  • Lemon Verbena: Light lemon flavor that's well-suited for sweet or savory cooking.
  • Violets: Sweet and floral. Use in dessert or freeze into ice cubes for decorative drinking.
(Partial list from Good Housekeeping)
     In addition to growing some edible flowers, why not please the natural pollinators that visit your yard; bees and butterflies. Include those flowers that attract bees such as Bee Balm, Black-eyed Susan, Goldenrod, Butterfly Bush, Purple Coneflower, Snowdrops, Crocus, Salvia, Sunflowers and Roses. The honey that bees produce makes a great sweetener in baked goods, on biscuits and in tea. Making honey candy is also a fun family activity. Look for various recipes and how tos online. Remember, due to the increased risk of botulism, do not give honey to children under the age of one year.
     Be sure that when you choose your flowers and plant your garden that you make it a fun and engaging day that promotes discovery and natural learning. Then sit in your newly planted flower garden and read a flowery title such as:
Picture
Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
Picture
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Picture
National Geographic Kids Readers: Seed to Plant by Kristin Baird Rattini
Picture
The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller
Picture
The Big Book of Blooms by Yuval Zommer
Picture
Jack's Garden by Henry Cole
Picture
Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray
Picture
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Picture
Plantzilla by Jerdine Nolen
Picture
One Whole Bunch by Mary Meyer
Picture
Mrs. Peanuckle's Flower Alphabet
Picture
An ABC of Flowers by Jutta Hilpuesch
Picture
What Does Bunny See?: A Book of Colors and Flowers by Linda Sue Park
Picture
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Wildflowers by Libby Romero
Usborne Books and More
Picture
Lift-the-flap First Questions and Answers: How Do Flowers Grow?
Picture
How Flowers Grow
Picture
The Wild Garden
Picture
     Sunflowers are a favorite flower for children to grow and include many varieties that vary in color and size. For a fun project for the whole family, read The Sunflower House by Eve Bunting and then get some mammoth sunflower seeds and plant your own sunflower house in your yard. At the end of summer, harvest the large seeds they produce and roast them for some healthy yummy goodness. Simply Recipes has a great article on their website, “How to Harvest and Roast (in shell) Sunflower Seeds” that covers the entire process.

     One of our favorite “flower” books is the classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. To share the story through the years and ages of your children:
  1. The Secret Garden: A BabyLit Flowers Primer by Jennifer Adams
  2. The Secret Garden: A BabyLit Storybook by Mandy Archer
  3. The Secret Garden by Igloo Books (an enchanting retelling of a modern classic)
  4. Secret in the Garden, A Peek Through Book by James Mayhew
  5. The Illustrated Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 
  6. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  7. Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book by Johanna Basford
  8. The Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Cotler
Picture
Happy planting and reading!

-Kate @ BTBL

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    We are mom Sandra and daughters Amanda and Kate, all with backgrounds in literacy and education, who want to share our philosophy of taking the basics of life; books, simple toys that encourage play, imagination and creativity, and using cooking and baking to teach math and real life skills to raise happy, inquisitive children. Join us in exploring the old and the new and sifting through the myriad of research to consider what is best for our children.

    Archives

    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All
    ABC Books
    Alphabet Books
    Arbor Day
    Autumn/Fall
    Background Knowledge
    Back To School
    Ballet Books
    Banned Books Week
    Board Books
    Book Advent Calendar
    Book Finds
    Book Quotes
    Books
    Book Sales
    Bookworm Bakers
    Boredom
    BTBL Rocks
    Bugs/Insects
    Calendars
    Censorship
    Children's Book Week
    Christmas
    Coloring
    Cooking
    Creativity
    Dewey Decimal System
    Dr. Seuss
    Early Literacy
    Earth Day
    Easter
    Environmental Print
    Extended Activities
    Fairy Gardens
    Fairy Tales
    Family Literacy Month
    Farmers Markets
    Flowers
    Gardening
    Get Caught Reading Month
    Gratefulness
    Halloween
    Hands-On
    Hanukkah
    Holidays
    Homeschooling
    Imaginative Play
    Inspiration
    Intellectual Freedom
    Kids In The Kitchen
    Kindergarten
    Kindness
    Kindness Rocks Project
    Language
    Learning
    Libraries
    Library Card Sign-up Month
    Magnets
    Manners & Etiquette
    Math
    Natural Playgrounds
    Natural Reader
    Nature
    New Year Resolutions
    Number Books
    Nursery Rhymes
    Outdoor Play
    Picture Books
    Play
    Poetry
    Puzzles
    Read Across America
    Reading
    Reading Aloud
    Reading Comprehension
    Reading Month
    Repetition
    School Libraries
    Screen Free Week
    Spring
    STEM
    Storytelling
    Storytime
    Summer
    Summer Slide
    Teaching
    Tell A Fairy Tale Day
    Thanksgiving
    Toys
    Unplug
    Used Books
    Valentine's Day
    Vocabulary
    Winter
    Winter Books
    Words & Word Play
    World Read Aloud Day

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Back to Basics
    • Contact Us
  • Reading Aloud
    • Research
    • Book Lists >
      • Ballet Books
      • Board Books
      • Alphabet Books
      • Number Books
      • Interactive & Sensory Books
      • Manners & Etiquette Books
      • Stories about Books, Reading & Libraries
      • Fables, Folktales & Fairy Tales
      • Nursery Rhymes & Poetry
      • Holiday Books
      • Graduation Books
      • Baking & Cooking Books
      • Gardening & Farm Books
      • Nature Books
      • Thankfulness & Gratitude Books
      • Pirate Books
      • Books Discussed in Our Handbook
    • Workshops
    • Literacy Events & Attractions
  • Bookworm Bakers
  • Blog
  • Shop
    • Toy Recommendations