Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care · Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness

Holistic Plant Care Projects for Kids: Best of Growing Joy Replay

January 1, 2026·42 min·2 clips

Joe says kids can test their own liquids, including Red Bull and rubbing alcohol.

1. Growing Joy with Plants revisits a child-friendly episode built around plant projects for kids and family science activities. 2. Maria hosts Joe Dombrowski, known as Mr. D x 3, a former classroom teacher and stand-up comic who was featured on Ellen for a joke spelling bee. 3. The episode asks what plant activities can keep kids engaged at home, in classrooms, and on vacation while teaching science. 4. Joe says he left the classroom but still advocates for teachers and uses humor to talk about virtual learning and school pressure. 5. He argues that teachers should not compare their online learning to anyone else and says, "If you dare to compare, you will wind up in despair." 6. Maria frames the project list around kids spending more time on screens and needing hands-on plant interaction. 7. Joe says the plant activities line up with elementary Common Core science standards and can reinforce classroom learning. 8. The seed bag project uses a two-gallon Ziploc, about two cups of soil, and a large seed like a lima bean or pumpkin. 9. Joe says the clear bag lets kids watch condensation, precipitation, germination, and root growth at the same time. 10. He notes that the bag can stay on a bulletin board near a window so students can track changes daily. 11. Joe treats the seed bag as a mini science lab because kids can compare day one to two weeks later and draw what they see. 12. He says the plant can eventually suffocate in the bag, which opens a conversation about root strangulation and oxygen. 13. Maria suggests that a dead plant can also lead into lessons about decomposition and the nitrogen cycle. 14. The sweet potato experiment uses three clear cups and three liquids: water, water with root hormone, and a student-chosen liquid. 15. Joe says the point is to hypothesize, compare variables, and let children make choices while observing root growth. 16. He jokes about a student wanting vodka and recalls using rubbing alcohol with permission, which keeps the lesson grounded in kid creativity. 17. Joe and Maria describe terrariums and fairy gardens as restorative spaces that help children use imagination and step away from screens. 18. The episode stays conversational and practical, with Maria and Joe trading classroom stories, plant tips, and joking asides. 19. Kids, teachers, and parents looking for screen-free science projects will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a strict plant-care tutorial without child activities may skip this one.

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