Guest Author - Diane Claus

This craft is ideal for ages 3 years and up.

This craft may need some adult supervision depending on the age of the child. This activity is great for many different ages and can be made more challenging or less challenging to suit the individual child’s needs.

In order to grow grass hair you will need:
Top Soil
Grass seeds or grass plants
Water
A warm, sunny place
Spoon
Styrofoam cup

There are a few different ways to do this project.

~ For toddlers who do not want to wait or are unable to understand why they have to wait, I would recommend planting the grass seeds and having the grass about three-quarters of and inch to an inch tall before creating the head. Once the child or children have created the head(s) you can transfer the grass to make the hair.

~ For preschool though age 8 I would recommend not using anything that that is breakable or contains sharp edges. The best thing I could think of was the Styrofoam cup. They are inexpensive, easy to handle, do not break and do not need to dry over night before adding the soil and seeds.

~ For ages 6 and up a Paper Mache head that can be sculpted into different shapes would be a great way to create a truly unique piece. This process will take much longer, but will be more rewarding. Be sure to apply a coat of clear exterior varnish to the inside and outside of the paper mache head after you have decorated it. Allow to fully dry before proceeding.

Once you have decided on what material you will be using for your head make sure you have a bag of dirt and some grass seeds. I recommend using Blue Grass, but this is purely a personal preference.

Markers are probably one of the best things for decorating a styrofoam cup and acrylic paint is great for paper mache. If you use paper mache you will need to spray it with a sealant inside and out so the moisture from the soil does not disintegrate the head.

Once the cup/container has been made and/or decorated you are going to want to fill it three-quarters of the way with the soil. Have the kids scoop out some seeds with a teaspoon and sprinkle it evenly around the dirt. Water and place in a warm, well-lit area. Water every two-three days. Many factors determine how long it will be until you will see "hair" but you should start to see growth between two and three weeks.