mini green house

Today the kids are planting in our mini green house. Aaron bought it for me before our trip. Tippy-toe put it together with some help. It was like a giant erector set. We have saved some egg cartons for planting and some trays I recycled. The water is from water bottles the older kids have left around the house that would otherwise just be dumped out. So in effect it is also a lesson on recycling.
I have printed out a couple of lessons to fill the time until the plants start sprouting. The first is from EasyFunSchool about how "seeds are baby plants". We used pinto beans from the pantry.
I bought tomatoes, corn and cilantro seeds to start. I have a small raised bed which we have been composing in all winter. It is made from the boards of an old water bed  frame. So we have limited space to grow. But I hope to grow as much as we can this summer. In our yard we already have an herb garden( thyme, sage, mint,and chives), raspberries, Egyptian onions, and  a small strawberry bed. I plan to tuck more food plants in the flower beds around the yard. It is important for the kids to learn to grow some of their own food. I have read a couple of really good books on permaculture by Bill Mollison. Everyone could do this on any size lot.