Kids get up-close and personal learning how plants grow with Rootvue Farm, available for $36.59, through Michaels. Plan to get down and dirty as you — and your kids — mix soil wafers with water, plant carrot, radish and onion seeds, and put the entire kit together.

The kit actually can be up and ready within 30 minutes; just follow the instructions. Perhaps the most difficult part is getting the wicks to stay upright as you place the soil inside the viewing window. The wicks draw water up into the soil from the water tray at the bottom of the kit. Just before the kit is completely filled, the seeds are planted and more soil is placed on top. As long as daytime temperatures reach at least 70 F, plants should begin sprouting at the top within a few days. It will take more time to see the roots become visible through the viewing window and growing robustly underground.

The kit is fun for all ages, and a flashback for moms who may have watched seeds sprout inside glass jars in elementary school. This kit is incredible; it rewards kids with edible carrots, radishes and onions at the end. The instruction book also features ideas for experiments, including how water travels through different types of soil and the effects of fertilizers on root growth. The kit comes with all the materials, including soil wafers and seeds.