Kicking it with the Council - An Interview

This Giveaway is now CLOSED.

Our first blog interview was with the lovely Karen Angelucci. For those of you that are unfamiliar with Karen, she is an author based out of Lexington, KY and she has written her first children’s book. The book is a great read on gardening for kids and the title of the book is Grimy, Grubby Gardening.

Child Care Council (CCC): What or who inspired you to start gardening?
Karen Angelucci (KA): I started gardening when I was five years old. I grew up in the country in Cynthiana, KY and my grandmother lived next door to us and she loved to garden. I have found that it is usually the grandparents that teach kids to garden, sometimes the parents are too busy so if you have a grandparent nearby that enjoys gardening lots of times the grandkids will enjoy it also.

CCC: What inspired you to write your first book, Secrets of a Kentucky Gardener?
KA: Well, I have a degree in X-ray and I was working when I got married and started having kids and decided to become a stay at home mom. Being a stay at home mom is challenging but I get bored easily and decided that since gardening is my passion, I would write a book about gardening. When I told my husband, he never dreamed I was serious. That book took ten years, lots of naps and Monday Night Football games were spent with me writing.

CCC: What was your next book?
KA: I got picked up by another publisher and then I wrote Secrets of a Tennessee Gardener. The books are very similar but the TN edition goes to zone 7 whereas KY is a zone 6.

CCC: How did you move from the Secrets books onto writing Grimy, Grubby Gardening for kids?
KA: It was natural for me to do a kid’s book. I have two children of my own and this seemed like the next progression. Gardening, like everything else starts with the kids. It is important for kids to get interested and find time outside and experience the natural world. Without these experiences, we will all be in trouble. I am all for the No Child Left Inside act. I am currently reading Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv and agree with his ideas.

CCC: Do you have any other books in the works right now?
KA: I am currently researching for a historical fiction book for adults but nothing is definite yet.

CCC: What are some of your favorite plants in the garden?
KA: Well, I am an Iris fanatic. I do not currently have a lot in my garden but I do love them. I grew up with lots of Iris growing in our garden. My first plant was an ugly yellow Iris and I still have a piece of that plant. I have moved it from house to house to house and plant it somewhere inconspicuous but it has great sentimental value to me. I really love the Japanese Iris. I am not 100% native but I am pro native. I have a mix of native and ornamental in my garden.

CCC: Do you enjoy growing plants from seed? And if so, what are some of your easiest ones?
KA: Larkspur, which is a cool weather annual and it self sows. You will have to pull lots of them out but it is worth it. Zinnias and sunflowers are easy to grow from seeds and those are actually what my kids and I grow together every year. I always buy my seeds locally because it is important to support local economies. It does not matter the store, many of the big box stores even use local growers and suppliers.

CCC: What are some of your favorite gardening projects with kids?
KA: I do school visits and presentations on writing and on gardening and my favorite thing is what I call my Nature Table. When I go to schools, they do not really have time to get dirty so my nature table fills the bill. The kids can see, smell, hear and feel everything on the table from seedpods to flowers and vegetables. That is always a lot of fun. Fortunately there are lots of school gardens popping up but unfortunately there is not always someone to take care of them. There is a big movement to plant more school gardens and I think that movement is going to make it. I am in the process of developing one at one of my daughter’s elementary schools right now. The biggest stumbling block to school gardens are getting adults that will take on the obligation of maintaining the gardens. The kids are easy, they love to get out there and get their hands in the soil, the adults are the ones you have to convince. The one I am working on now is being maintained by myself and the Early Start/Head Start teacher and class. We had to jump through some hoops to get this done since the playground is for the federally funded program but we persevered and the teacher and kids love the garden and are very dedicated to it. They sowed some seeds and planted perennials and a tree and later we will be putting in some vegetables. This teacher understands that the garden is a true outdoor classroom.

CCC: How do you find out if a new school you will be attending has a garden?
KA: There is a website where you can register any school gardens at the Kids Gardening Organization.

CCC: Is there assistance for people wanting to start a school garden?
KA: There are some grants you can get if you look hard enough for them but lots of it is just donations. You will also have to contact the school and get a list of approved plants and trees. You also can not spray any herbicides or pesticides that could endanger the children. You also have to plan it out well and be sure you have people to maintain it or if it get all overgrown the maintenance crew will have to mow it all down. It can be done, but it is no small task.

CCC: Why do you feel it is so important for kids to garden?
KA: It is one of the most important things in life. It is crucial for kids to be connected to nature, it improves their self esteem, their health and it reduces the crime rate and graffiti, being outside makes a person more appreciative.

CCC: What is your website?
KA: karenangelucci.com and Karen Angelucci Booksis on Facebook.

I hope you enjoyed the interview and were inspired to get outside with your kids. Karen was kind enough to donate a copy of Grimy, Grubby Gardening as a giveaway. You can register up to 6 separate times following the rules below.

1. Leave a comment on this blog posting telling us your favorite outdoor activity with kids.
2. Become a follower of our blog.
3. Become a fan of KIDS MATTER on Facebook.
4. Become a fan of Child Care Council of Kentucky on Facebook.
5. Follow us on Twitter.
6. Blog about the interview on your blog, linking back to us.

Thanks and the registration for the giveaway will end on Wednesday May 5th, 2010.

Help there is a toddler in my house!

First and foremost, don’t panic! Toddlers can smell fear so don’t let them even get a whiff of your fear and you will be fine. :-) At times toddlers and preschoolers can try your patience. Some days it seems like the only thing they can so is NO! If that sounds like your day: Step back, take a deep breath and count to ten (or one hundred if you need to). At some point that toddler is going to change from a terror to the sweet loving child that you are currently reminiscing about.

As we all know, there is a fine line between keeping a toddler pleasantly occupied and over stimulated. Try not to jump from activity to activity without some down time in between. When the toddlers no longer want to play with the toy cars that are now spread all over your house, sing a cleaning up song with them to encourage their assistance prior to moving onto a new project. If they do not like your singing (which would be shocking of course), make it into a game. Who can pick up the most cars in 2 minutes? Who can pick up the red cars first? Children do not have to be entertained by an adult every minute of every day. Sometimes it is nice to let them create their own game/activity with you just checking on their safety when needed.

When you give a child a new toy, it is not necessary to show them the “proper” way to play with it. If you hand her a toy car and she plays with it constantly in reverse, this is okay. It is important to provide your children with open ended toys. This does not mean you have to have expensive silk scarves or any other toys advertised as open ended. It just means you need to let your kids figure out how they want to play with their toys. If a boy wants to play with a doll and cuddle the baby doll and feed the baby doll that is fine. If he wants to run over the baby doll with a monster truck that is still appropriate play. Don’t let the children know, but everything they do is a learning experience for them. Snuggling that baby doll is teaching him compassion and running the monster truck over the baby doll is teaching him about elevations. Washing toys and baby dolls teaches them what sinks and what floats. Driving their cars down ramps teaches about gravity. Even throwing a toy and breaking it teaches them about cause and effect.

Parents often feel like they need to schedule their children for something every minute of every day but sometimes kids just need to go to the bedroom and find something to play with or go outside and explore the back yard. I am not endorsing locking your kids in the backyard while you get some much needed ME time. I am just telling you that there is room for both in your life, toddler time and me time. Dance lessons, gymnastics, swim lessons, taekwondo and organized sports are fun for kids but it is not necessary to do everyone of these items. Give your child a chance to just be a child. As he gets older there will be time to get used to multi-tasking but there is no need for the under 5 set to learn about that yet.

What is one of your kids favorite “alone” activities? My son usually pulls out his books and pretends to read. Please tell us in comments what your child does.

Wordless Wednesday - Rock Star

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Tuesday Teachings - Botany Lessons

Today’s lesson plan will encourage the kids to experience the best parts of spring, the excitement of new growth. With this lesson we will encourage the skills for later science fairs.

Supplies Needed:
Clear plastic cups
Potting soil
Water
Grass seeds

It is best to use the clear plastic cups in order to allow the children to not only see the growth above ground but the root growth also. First you will dampen your soil and fill your cups about ¾ the way with soil. Sprinkle the grass seed on top and then sprinkle it lightly with additional soil. Put your cup in a bright spot and check the moisture level each day. In about 5-7 days you should see good growth. As the plants grow take the time to point out not only the top growth but the roots that are growing below the ground. Remind your child that all plants have roots that grow underground and that is how the plants get nourishment and grow, much like the veggies and fruits your child eats.

This project will be an excellent opportunity to teach your child all the different parts of a plant. You can go to the University of Minnesota’s website and see illustrations of the different parts of a grass plant. You can draw or print this and label it with your child and as you work on Botany for a bit you could even attach your drawings to a magnetic sheet and cut it out to allow your child to match it up on the refrigerator or if you want to contain the pieces you could use a cookie sheet for them to put the magnets on.

Other activities you can use to teach botany:
A nature walk to collect specimens
Growing flowers and learning the parts of flowers
Creating a collage with collected specimens
Color and label the parts of plants or animals

Quick to grow plants:

All of these plants will grow easily from seeds so you do not have to wait long to see something happen. When sowing directly in the spot the plants will grow at, scatter the seeds and keep the soil moist so they germinate.

Love-in-a-mist: Full sun, germinates in 2-3 weeks and is 12 inches tall.
Pot Marigold: Full sun, germinates in 1-2 weeks and is 5 inches tall.
Candy tuft: Full sun, germinates in 3 weeks and is 10 inches tall.
Cornflower: Full sun, germinates in 2 weeks and is 12-18 inches tall.
Nasturtium: Full sun, germinates in 2-3 weeks and height varies by species.
Shirley Poppy: Full sun, germinates in 1-2 weeks and is 24 inches tall.
Annual Mallow: Full sun, germinates in 2-3 weeks and is 20 inches tall.
Cosmos: Full sun, germinates in 2 weeks and is about 16-20 inches tall.
Sunflowers: Full sun, germinates in 1-2 weeks and height varies by species.
Zinnias: Full sun, germinates in 2-3 weeks and height varies by species.

Plants to grow from the grocery store:

Avocado: Remove the pit carefully from the Avocado. Push three toothpicks evenly spaced around the middle of the pit. With the pointed end of the pit facing upward, place the pit over a glass of water resting the toothpicks on the edge of the glass. The bottom of the pit should be submerged in the water. This should germinate in about 6 weeks and once it gets some growth it can be moved to a pot of soil.

Pineapple: Slice the leafy top off of a fresh pineapple, carefully remove all the fruit without damaging the core and strip away a few leaves at the bottom and allow to dry. Plant the bottom of the "plant" in a pot of soil and keep moist. Within 6 weeks the top will start to root but it will be a year or two before you get any fruits.

Carrot: Carrot tops will sprout and grow into bushy plants, but will not grow another carrot. Cut off the top about 2 inches from the crown. If there is any green on your carrot, cut it off. To sprout your carrot fill a shallow bowl with small pebbles or marbles. Push the carrot tops into the pebbles or marbles and fill the bowl with lukewarm water. Place the bowl near a sunny window and in a few days you will see the pretty fern-like sprouts of the carrot. Your carrot plant will last until it out grows it's container. It also makes a fun table decoration.

Garlic: You can plant garlic cloves, pointy side up directly in a pot of soil. Place your garlic plant on a sunny window sill and keep watered. Within a week you should have little green shoots emerging from the soil. You can actually use these shoots in your cooking as a garnish on soups or baked potatoes, or to give a garlicky taste to cooking.

Green Onions: Use green onions with healthy, white roots attached to the bulb. Snip off green tops for cooking with a scissors. Leave a little green top on the onion bulb. Plant the entire onion while leaving the short top above ground in a small pot filled with a loamy, organic potting soil. Make sure your container has drainage holes. Put in a sunny windowsill and water once a week or when soil feels dry to the touch. Harvest new green shoots with scissors to use for cooking or as a tasty garnish. Continue to leave the onion in the soil. With each new growth the onion will taste more potent. After each harvest of onion tops, dress the topsoil with organic compost.

Going Green

Everyone needs to do their part to conserve energy and natural resources. There are large and small things that we can do everyday and there is no better time to teach our kids this than during the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.

I am sure this post will not be ground breaking for most people, as on the whole we all do things to save resources.

Reduce - I have been a huge fan of the 100 calorie packs of snacks you can buy. It lets me know immediately how many pieces I can have and just use 100 calories. The problem is that all of those little packages are packed inside of another bigger package and that is generating unnecessary waste and wasting fuel and energy to produce. I try to be conscious of the packaging of an item prior to purchase and have not purchased things due to the excessive packaging. Toys are some of the worst for unnecessary packaging.

Re-use - There are tons of thrift stores all over the world now. Why not check one out? You never know what you may find. I have walked into them before and found brand new stock with the tags still attached from department stores. I have also found lots of useful items to occupy my son like books, puzzles, toys and trays. We got some cheap old dishes and pans for him to use when he plays with his toy food. I will also often go and pick up clothes that I may not wear but will make good material to re-purpose into other things like quilts and doll clothes.

Recycle - Everyone knows that we must recycle all items that our community allows. This includes cans, bottles, paper, newspapers, plastics, magazines and the list goes on. Do not just think of the recycling container though when you are done with than item. Magazines can be donated to hospitals or doctors offices or even schools to use for collage items. Many items can be re-used for craft projects, try and be creative.

In addition to the three R's, I try to limit the chemicals that I bring into my house. We are not perfect but baby steps can get a long way. I make our cleansers now using regular household items including; water, vinegar and rubbing alcohol. See a sampling of cleaner recipes below:

General cleaning:
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water

Mix in a spray bottle and use for counters, tubs, sinks, outside of toilets and etc.

Glass Cleaner
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
1 tbsp white vinegar

Mix in a spray bottle and use for windows and mirrors.

I am not going to list more cleaning solutions as there are millions all over the Internet but you get the idea. I mix these up and then on the outside of the spray bottle I write the ingredients so I know what I need to refill the bottles.

I am no expert on Going Green, but I do what I can and I try to teach my child the same values. Children will pick up from their families and friends about what the important things are in life and this should be an important thing for all of us. What are you doing to go green?

Wordless Wednesday - Just Swinging

Go to the park and remember the childhood joys of swinging!