Seed Paper Crackers

On Tuesday Class 1 and Class 2 helped make the crackers for their Christmas party, but these were no ordinary crackers - these were seed paper crackers.

If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s basically a very eco-friendly cracker that uses paper impregnated with seeds that can be replanted in the Spring and left to germinate. It’s a brilliant concept that ties in perfectly with the school’s desire to improve its eco-footprint and encourage the children to become more sustainably aware.

The activity began with the teachers showing the children the seed paper. It was explained to them that instead of just throwing the disused crackers away, this year, they will be replanted on the allotment. The paper is embedded with various flower seeds that are good for butterflies and bees - Chrysanthemum “Golden Ball”, White Gypsophilia “Baby’s Breath”, Snapdragon “Rainbow Mix”, Iberis Umbellata “Candytuft”,  Lobularia “Snowcloth”,  Ageratum “Blue Mink”, Petunia,  Godetia,  Azalea and Dorotheanthus.

The children filled the tubes with a party hat, joke, candy cane and pull snapper…

…with a little bit of jiggling everything seemed to just about fit.

It was lovely to see the children try various different techniques in order to try and keep the innards inside the cracker whilst they wrapped the cardboard tube in the paper. Some methods were more successful than others but it was good to see the principle of trial and error being applied.

Next, the teachers helped the younger ones to wrap the recyclable cardboard tube lengthways in the plantable paper.

The ends were tied securely with festive ribbon…

…and hey presto - one seed paper cracker!

By the end of the session a big bundle of crackers was beginning to pile up, all looking wonderfully festive and hand made. There will be thirty seven in total all bursting with seeds, which come the Spring, the children will plant on the allotment to help attract birds, bees and other wildlife. It was a true lesson in sustainability, a wonderful hands on classroom activity, a bit of festive fun and a fantastic opportunity to engage the children in new ways of thinking about waste, the environment and their sustainable footprint.

The children enjoyed the Christmas party yesterday and it was so lovely to see the seed paper crackers in action. The paper was collected up and is now being stored safely until the Spring, when the children will plant it on the allotment.

Fundraising Video

This video has been a bit of a team effort by various parents at the school but I think this is the final, polished version!! The subtitles really help get the children’s message across.

The children are trying to raise funds to buy gardening tools and equipment for their new allotment, your support would go a long way in helping them to achieve their goal. To make a donation simply follow the link below.

https://rocket.fund/p/oakridgeallotment/

There are so many benefits the children will gain from growing their own food, not least being outside in the fresh air doing some physical exercise and getting their hands dirty. The allotment will teach the children about the importance of growing food locally, not just in terms of the health benefits it provides, but also from an environmental perspective and the importance of sustainability. It will give them a solid understanding about where food comes from, what's involved in order to grow it and the satisfaction of knowing that they grew it all themselves.