I celebrated Earth Day by planting seeds with kids from a local school. My friend Carmen taught me a wonderfully green trick that was fast, easy, and cheap. The method is shown below. So easy!

My favorite part of this activity was playing with the parents, who seemed just as excited as the kids to grow their own veggies, herbs, and watermelon. So grab a kid--of any age--and plant something tasty today!



Supplies Needed:
Old newspaper torn in vertical strips
Empty aluminum can (soda pop, whatever you have)
Potting soil
Hand trowel
Seeds

Instructions:



1. Take a strip of newspaper. Lay it on a flat surface.







2. Set an aluminum can at one end of the newspaper, leaving about 2 inches of newspaper free. Wrap the newspaper around the can by rolling it tightly.






3. Turn the can upside down so that the newspaper side is facing up. Gather the loose ends of the newspaper and pinch/fold them inward, sealing off the can. You now have a sealed newspaper container.









4. Gently remove your newspaper container from the aluminum can. Turn it upright so the open end faces up. You now have a tiny seed cup.





5. Using a hand trowel, fill your seed cup with potting soil. Poke a hole in the middle, place a seed in the hole, and then cover the seed with potting soil.

6. Plant your newspaper planter directly in the ground. It will decompose naturally.

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