Kids in the garden
(Playaway Launchpad)

Title from label.

Release date supplied by publisher.

Videos previously released by Film Ideas, Inc., ©2012.

Issued on Playaway Launchpad, a pre-loaded learning tablet.

Powered by rechargeable battery ; container includes one power charging cord with both USB and AC adapters.

Earphones not required for audio playback.

Device does not have Internet connectivity.

Soil: Did you even realize that the ground you're walking on is alive? In fact, a tiny handful of soil could contain millions of living things: insects, microscopic bugs and bacteria, as well as rocks that have been crushed over time by the elements.

Seeds: Can you believe that you might be able to hold in your hands what could be a huge forest of trees. A tiny little seed could potentially grow into the world's tallest tree.

Flowers: From tiny daisies to huge sunflowers, flowers bloom in countless shapes and sizes. And their colors are just as varied and magnificent.

Leaves: Autumn is definitely the best time to look at leaves. They are important to a plant's life, but also to our life. They take all that carbon dioxide that we breathe out, and create new, clean oxygen for us to breathe in. And amazingly, they are the only living thing that can produce its own food.

How plants work: The Kids in the Garden series encourages environmental stewardship and promotes a healthy lifestyle while the kids (and adults) enjoy discovering the science of our natural world. Each program includes hands on activities with project lists. One of the most distinctive things about our planet is that it's so green. Green equals plants, plants equals life. Plants need us to care for and understand them, so we can help them keep on surviving.

Fruits: Fruit is packed full of vitamins and minerals that help us grow and protect us from diseases. And the strange thing is, they're just hanging around on plants, waiting to be eaten. It's hard to resist them.

Fungi: A garden in the dark? But don't all plants need light to survive? Well, that's just it. Mushrooms aren't plants. They're part of a whole separate kingdom of living things known as fungi.

Plant survivors: Plants have made endless changes over millions of years, to deal with the different environments where they grow. You'll find plants high in the freezing mountains, in the sea, and in hot, dry deserts. Plants are the great survivors.

Cacti: Cacti are tough. They can survive in the harshest conditions known, going without water and nutrients for long periods of time. They're not just tough! No, they are nasty too, with sharp spines to protect their precious reserves.

Creatures: We think our garden is a peaceful paradise but really it's a jungle out there! Most animals are insects and our gardens are full of creepy crawlers, as well as birds and other animals. Why do we need so many living things in the garden?

Herbs: Herbs come in all shapes and sizes and are some of the most useful plants we have in the garden. They're used to flavor food, repel insects and make medicines. Wars have been fought and countries discovered all in the name of herbs!

Indoor gardens: Gardens can pop up in the strangest places. In fact, you can practically bring the garden indoors if you put it under a huge glass roof to protect it from the cold and wind so that it stays warm and summery all year.

Trees: Trees are amazing and so important to our lives. We depend on them for so many things such as clean air, shade, as a windbreak and even as food for the soil and creatures on the ground. A tree is not just a plant. It's a whole and vital ecosystem.

Useful plants: Next time you breathe remember to say thanks to the plants! They breathe in the CO2 we breathe out and breathe out fresh oxygen, which is what we breathe in! We need oxygen to stay alive, and couldn't exist without our little green friends.

Veggies: Veggies straight from the garden taste a whole lot better. They're fresh and full of the vitamins and minerals that are lost in the trip from the farm to the store. The great thing is they're pretty easy to grow and you don't need much space.

Ages 8-10.

Grades 3-5.