Growing Fun! Hairy Harry Project

Hairy Harry

Growing a “Hairy Harry” is one of my absolute favorite silly projects. It’s super simple and satisfying.

Here’s what you need:

  • an old stocking, cut the legs off (keep it long-you’ll need the length to reach the water)
  • grass seeds
  • planting soil
  • a jar
  • some buttons or other doodads
  • straight pins

Directions:

  1. Cut off the stocking leg.
  2. Put a handful of the grass seeds in the toe.
  3. Put lots of dirt inside.  It’s easier if one kid holds the stocking open a bit for this part.  Keep pushing the dirt down and so it looks like a round head shape, you could mold it a bit.
  4. Tie a knot at the base of the head.
  5. Turn it upside down and place it into the jar (so the stocking leg falls in).
  6. Get creative and use buttons, cut up foam sheets, or other cool stuff you can find to make a funny face.
  7. Lift up the head, put water into the jar, then place the jar back on.
  8. Rename Harry.  Ours are named Skipper and Funky Hair-a-letta.

In my classroom, we’ve made these to get ready for our first How-To writing unit.  There was a little trade book that inspired this fun, but I can’t find it anywhere to give the authors credit. We’ve even dressed them with felt around the jars.  If you do, be sure to keep watering them-you might not notice when the jar is running low!  Please share yours if you make one!  We would love to see!

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