A Garden Education Gurú, Judy, who I met while working with school gardens in California, introduced me to Christmas Lima Beans, amongst many other heirloom seeds and tips for working with kids in the garden setting.  How grateful I am to have had the opportunity to work with her!

I have always thought of these seeds as magic beans and keep a few in my pocket in case I have the chance to pass them on to someone else who might plant them. So…. Just ask next time we see each other!

In Puerto Rico I have grown and collected a great amount and replanted the seeds.  ‘Baby’ G likes to help shell and sort them…and sometimes they spill all overall and then we race to pick them up.

Activities:

Once the child is old enough to keep out of mouth:

🌱  Planting the seeds / put in soil / may be fun for child to “plant and replant” in soil

🌱  Observing plant growth, watering, finding flowers, collecting seeds, shelling seeds

🌱  Sorting / with other seeds / into various containers

🌱  Counting the seeds using an ice cube tray

For older children:

🌱  Looking up recipes  & cooking the beans

🌱  Tracking plant growth / identifying cotyledons / measuring plant

See related post :  How to Start a Bean Plant in an Upcycled CD Case