Kids can plant sunflowers for a 3 to 12 foot bright spot in the backyard or in a large pot on the patio, where they get at least six hours of sun a day. First kids can plant the seeds in a small peat pot in the house and keep the soil moist. When the plants are 4 inches high, kids can plant the peat pot in a larger container. Sunflowers and their heart shaped leaves attract hummingbirds, ladybugs, bees, and other beneficial insects and birds to the garden. Kids will be delighted to watch as the sunflower bud always faces the sun, following it across the sky. When the bud opens the ray flowers spread out with disk flowers in the center. The insects pollinate the disk flowers to form the seeds. In the autumn when the leaves and flowers wither, each sunflower produces hundreds of seeds tightly packed into the flower head. Birds love to fly by the sunflower to pick and eat the seeds out of the seed head. Kids can use polyunsaturated sunflower oil for cooking and salad dressing. Rich in vitamin E, sunflower seeds have a nutty taste and are delicious in salads and casseroles. As a snack, kids love eating roasted sunflower seeds for a delicious high protein energy boost.
Cooking Magic for Kids 