Teach Your Child Responsibility and Boost Confidence with this Simple Daily Task: Watering Plants

As parents, we all want our children to grow up to be responsible and confident individuals. We want to instill in them the values and skills that will help them become successful in their personal and professional lives. One simple way to teach your child responsibility and boost their confidence is by assigning them daily tasks that they can complete on their own. One such task that is easy, fun, and rewarding is watering plants. Not only does it teach your child about the importance of nurturing and taking care of living things, but it also gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride as they watch the plants grow and thrive under their care. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of this simple daily task and how you can help your child develop a sense of responsibility and confidence through it.

Watering Plants

Suitable Age: 2 1/2+

Materials: 

• A small watering can and a small sponge
• A basket containing red and green Popsicle sticks to be inserted into the plant soil (depending on the humidity/dryness of the plant soil)

Preparation:

Make sure you have checked the soil of the plants in the classroom ahead of time and have inserted the proper Popsicle stick into the soil.

• Red: no need to water
• Green: water needed

Direct Aim:

• To water a plant independently

Indirect Aim:

• Refining of the muscles in the hand
• Confidence
• Hand-eye coordination
• Independence

Presentation/ Child instruction: 

1. Invite a child to come with you to check on the plants in the classroom. Go with the child to look at the plants and point out the sticks in each plant in the classroom. Tell the child that looks like the plants need some water and ask for his help.
2. Show the child where to find the watering can and the sponge. Invite her to go and get some water in the watering can.
3. Once the child returns with the watering can, lead the child to the first plant. (All plants should have some type of watering code to prevent over-watering, such as a red and green Popsicle stick or Popsicle sticks with happy faces on one side and sad faces on the opposite).
4. Slowly lift the watering can and water the plant (use the sponge to prevent any drips). Now, change the Popsicle stick.
5. Lead the child to another plant. This time ask the child to check if the plant requires watering. If so, invite the child to water the plant and change the Green Popsicle stick to a Red one.
6. Once all the plants have been watered, invite the child to return the watering can and the sponge back to their original location on the shelf.
7. Invite the child to water the plants whenever she notices (by the Popsicle sticks) they need water.

Point of interest:

• Being able to do something that an adult does, the coded sticks, taking care of something living

Control of Error: 

• Spilling water
• Over-watering the plant
• Difficulty respecting the codes
• Forgetting to change the code
• Difficulty noticing when the plants are in need of water (under-watering)

>> Read more: Teach Your Child Responsibility and Boost Confidence with this Simple Daily Task: Planting Seeds (Alfalfa, Grass, Beans, Etc…)