Oftentimes, when people hear the phrase “exploring The Secret Garden,” it bring about visions of summer fun, butterflies, frogs, and, of course, gardens.
But what if we told you that the award-winning book A Year In The Secret Garden by Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters was not “just a summertime book.”
This amazing book is filled with fascinating historical information, monthly gardening activities, easy-to-make recipes, and step-by-step crafts; all designed to get kids off of electronics and families creating together.
Here are some examples of cold weather activities and recipes that will encourage learning and hours of FUN.
Jumping Rope and Jump Rope Rhymes
Now, jumping rope may not sound like a “winter activity,” but the reality is that it’s a great form of exercise and fun that can be done virtually anywhere! (Just watch out for ceiling fans and light fixtures!)
Also called “skipping rope,” explorers saw aborigines jumping with vines in the 16th century. European boys started skipping in the early 17th century. Jump ropes were an easy-to-make toy back in the day when there were few toys to choose from.
Modern-day jump ropes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but wanna-be skippers can take their time to the store; jump ropes can be easily made from all sorts of materials, including plastic shopping bags!
(See page 30 of A Year In The Secret Garden for the instructions)
There’s also a fun way to “next-level” your skipping rope adventures while practicing memorization. On pages 32 and 33 of A Year In The Secret Garden, readers will find some easy and silly jumping rope rhymes to incorporate into their fun.
Not Last Night
Not last night
But the night before
twenty-four robbers
Knocking at my door
As I ran out,
They ran in
I hit them over the head
With a rolling pin
Notice a rhythm with these words? Challenge yourself to make up your jump rope rhymes to tease your brain even more!
Enjoy!
More About A Year in the Secret Garden
As parents, we want/need quality books with extension activities to help our young ones unplug and create memories. Pulling books from shelves, and stories from pages is also an important act that will the habit of being life-long readers. Quality books with companion book extension activities are not only working to create special family time, but it also allows kids to solve the world’s problems without major consequences. A Year in the Secret Garden is just such a book.
This delightful children’s book that is co-written by Marilyn Scott-Waters and Valarie Budyar and it offers original month-by-month activities that allow readers to delve deeper into the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden.
Within the 120 pages (with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities) of A Year in the Secret Garden , families will find many activities inspired by The Secret Garden that encourages them to step away from technology and enjoy getting hands and feet into the black earth of a family garden. It also uses over two hundred full-color illustrations and photos to bring the classic story to life in modern ways. Filled with fascinating historical information, monthly gardening activities, easy-to-make recipes, and step-by-step crafts this exceptionally high-quality book is designed to enchant readers of all ages (including adults!).
Each month your family will unlock the mysteries of an original Secret Garden character, as well as have fun together creating the original crafts and activities based on the book. It’s time to coax kids away from their electronic devices and into the kitchen, garden, and craft room. This book will make a great gift and be the catalyst for many hours of family growth, learning, and FUN!
Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” More details HERE!
