Bulb Planting in the Kindergarten 



LUCILE P. HOSSE 



Was it not Froebel, who placed stress upon an appreciation of 

 Nature as a direct channel to an understanding of God; and is 

 not the familiar quotation * ' Man is the child of Nature, the child 

 of Man, the child of God," the expression of his great teaching? 

 Then and only then can "education (can) fulfill it's mission when 

 it views the human being in this three-fold relationship and takes 

 each into account." 



The Kindergarten, a vital element in present day education, is a 

 mighty factor in bringing about the unfolding of this three-fold 



nature. And especially in this elementary department of the 

 school system is there ample opportunity afforded for ctdtivation of 

 that thiid and somewhat neglected side of the child's training — the 

 moral and spiritual interests. Through many avenues the 

 Kindergarten approaches this salient feature of it's work. One 

 method often tried and usually accompanied by success is the 

 raising of plants in the schoolroom. 



My own experience in this realm of concrete nature-study beg^an 

 last October. On the thirteenth of the month the boys and girls 

 of our Kindergarten planted twenty-two bulbs, which had been 

 selected with care and which were considered fairly easy plants for 

 amateurs. Each child assisted in some way either by placing soil 



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