BYTOWN CO-OP NEWS

ne of the themes the nursery school children have enjoyed most in the last few weeks is outer space. They built rocket ships from blocks for imaginary space travel, listened to stories and sang songs about space, learned the names of many of the planets, and liked to tell which was their favorite one. Their play often returns to space travel even though we have moved on to other themes.

The space theme has been followed by Easter and spring - dyeing Easter eggs to take home, stories and songs about baby chicks, ducklings and bunnies. It's also a time to plant seeds and watch things grow.

If you are looking for ways to garden with children, container gardens are a good idea. You can choose from a variety of patio containers, or even recycle an old wagon or wheelbarrow that was about to be thrown out. This provides a manageable size of plot to plant, weed, and water.

Be sure to make some drainage holes if the container has none. Then fill it with potting soil. You can use both potted plants and seeds. Put plants that will be tallest in the middle and smaller plants along the sides. If there is room, the child could plant lettuce seeds in the shape of the beginning letter of their name.

Water the container regularly (containers dry out quickly) and enjoy your garden! (from Prime Time Together...with Kids, by Donna Erickson).

Spaces at Bytown are filling up quickly. If you are interested in a spot for September, 2000, call Cathy Brown at 730-4384.