This activity promotes development and learning by encouraging children to use imitation and symbolic representation in play.

Materials Needed:

Children’s book “Scarlette Beane” by Karen Wallace and Jon Berkeley (or watch the video below)

Participants: This activity is intended for independent play, adult/child interaction, or 2 or more participants/players

Directions:

1. Read the story “Scarlette Beane” by Karen Wallace and Jon Berkeley or watch the video storytime linked above.
2. Point out the illustrations and discuss the story. What was Scarlette’s special gift? What gift would you want? Explain the meaning of a simile and see how many you can find in the story, e.g., “crumbly as chocolate cake,” “huge as tree trunks,” etc.
3. Set up a pretend garden at your house, making it as elaborate or as simple as you like. Offer a few gardening props, such as a trowel and garden gloves. Paint a cardboard box to look like Scarlette’s vegetable house. Let your children select vegetables at the grocery store or start a garden at home. Make vegetable soup together.

Learn More: “Scarlette Beane” offers many opportunities for integrated learning. Graph different types of vegetables depending on whether they’re roots, leaves, or fruits. Count and sort veggies before a meal. Make signs for the vegetable garden or write a story. What else in the story sparks your child’s imagination?