Growing Together: Open Forum

Please share your inclement weather day gardening ideas. What do you do when the weather unexpectedly keeps you inside? How do you readjust at the last minute? Do you have a favorite activities or resources that you draw on?

I'll go first... I like to save a book in my back pocket for a rainy day. My favorite is read aloud is a picture book called Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story. After reading the kids take their existing garden journals (though you could make a quick one easily in class by folding and stapling a few sheets of paper together) and rotate around the classroom observing and drawing nature items that I've set out for them to see. You can wrap up with the Sci Show Kids video Be a Field Scientist (3 minutes long) to occupy the kids while you do a quick classroom clean up.

Please share your ideas on what to do when weather keeps you from going outside!

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[Lara] [Guerra]
[Science Teacher]
[The Hockaday School]
[Dallas] [Texas]
[lguerra@hockaday.org]
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I forgot to attach this observation sheet. It was created by Chat GPT but I thought it was pretty good.  -- LG

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[Lara] [Guerra]
[Science Teacher]
[The Hockaday School]
[Dallas] [Texas]
[lguerra@hockaday.org]
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Hi Lara,

Great subject to get ideas from other folks!  I run a program, The TeaProject which is herbalism, gardening and SEL skills.  So, I can always 

switch to the mindfulness/SEL lessons.  But this spring when daffodils had exploded in my yard I harvested about 80 flowers for the 3 classes of 1st graders.

I took a handout of the anatomy of a flower.  We had been talking about pollinators so this was a natural activity to dive into a little deeper.  Each child got a flower

and the handout was put on the white board.  The children dissected the flower and found the different parts.  They copied the names of the parts and drew

them in their Nature Journals.  They actually talk about this lesson now when we are in the garden and "got" the whole pollination concept.  I brought bee pollen

into the classroom and kids could try it with their tea. It opened up a very interesting conversation!

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Janet Lawson
Ruskin Elementary School, Dayton Public School System
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I asked the same rainy day question a couple of years ago and thought it was time to do it again! Thanks so much for sharing! 

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[Lara] [Guerra]
[Science Teacher]
[The Hockaday School]
[Dallas] [Texas]
[lguerra@hockaday.org]
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-22-2026 05:08:54 PM
From: Janet Lawson
Subject: Share your rainy day gardening ideas

Hi Lara,

Great subject to get ideas from other folks!  I run a program, The TeaProject which is herbalism, gardening and SEL skills.  So, I can always 

switch to the mindfulness/SEL lessons.  But this spring when daffodils had exploded in my yard I harvested about 80 flowers for the 3 classes of 1st graders.

I took a handout of the anatomy of a flower.  We had been talking about pollinators so this was a natural activity to dive into a little deeper.  Each child got a flower

and the handout was put on the white board.  The children dissected the flower and found the different parts.  They copied the names of the parts and drew

them in their Nature Journals.  They actually talk about this lesson now when we are in the garden and "got" the whole pollination concept.  I brought bee pollen

into the classroom and kids could try it with their tea. It opened up a very interesting conversation!

------------------------------
Janet Lawson
Ruskin Elementary School, Dayton Public School System
------------------------------

Hi Lara!

I am not very far from you. I am at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison. I have an after-school gardening enrichment class for early childhood. Very small group that meets once a week. We have 3 planters and 2 raised beds. When we have to stay inside, their absolute favorite activity is painting rocks or stepping stones for the garden. I bought a big bag of white rocks from Home Depot and we have painted them all. I found stepping stone kits and little wooden butterflies to paint at the thrift store and Target. They also enjoy playing a hide and seek game (Find the Gnome) and they liked making clay seed bombs as well.  I just added some fairy house doors to the tree next to our garden and now we can make things to leave for the fairies. 

Happy gardening!

Jennifer Ross

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Jennifer Ross
Trinity Christian Academy
TX
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I think nature journaling with water colors is always fun. Especially if you can go outside and capture the water too in a cup, kids love that.

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Alycia Wright
Culturalrootsco-op.com
Richmond Va
8043068116
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