The Practice
If you take a quick glance outside these days, you can’t help but notice a glorious process taking place. Nature is waking back up, the world is getting greener, and we feel inspired and rejuvenated. For this edition of The Toolkit we are combining our love for nurturing growing plants with the skill of focusing in the moment. This practice entails spending time with nature as it cycles through its growing period.
Step one is to pick a plant that your student will have access to throughout the season. This could be a plant in a family garden, a seed that your child plants*, a tree outside their bedroom window, etc. Next, spend one minute a day “hanging out” with that plant and paying attention to its process. Then, have your child write or draw in their “plant journal” everything they notice about the plant. Did it grow? Does it have more leaves? Does it have fruit or flowers? Does it need water? What did they feel and think when they watched it?
Don’t worry if you miss a day or two (or three). The plant will still be there waiting patiently for you to observe its process when you are able. Plants are chill like that.
The Language
Here are some simple ways to introduce this activity to your child
Plants might seem quiet and still most of the time, but they are actually full of action! However, we can only notice it when we make a habit of paying careful attention to them, day after day. Let’s set a one-minute timer during which we practice just noticing things about the plant. It’s okay if your mind wanders—that’s what minds do! Just bring your focus back to the plant when you notice that your mind has drifted away somewhere. When the minute is up, we’ll spend a little time writing down or drawing what we notice about the plant. It will be really cool to see how much it changes over the next few months!
Did you know research shows that spending time with plants is great for your mental and physical health? Looking at plants has been found to decrease stress, anxiety, and sadness, and even lower your blood pressure! Let’s tap into these amazing benefits by focusing on the plants in our lives. We’ll each pick one—you can grow one yourself if you’d like—and make a habit of noticing it and then recording our observations regularly.
Caregiver tip: ask questions about what your child observes, such as, “What do you notice about the plant? Is it growing? Is the soil around it wet or dry? How is it different from when we last spent time with it?”
We hope that nurturing the growth of a plant also helps nurture your state of mind and the growth of your student. Happy planting!
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