Late 80s YA book about a kid on summer break who has to sit in a small patch of grass all summer
Here's what I remember, not sure it's all accurate:
Young kid (probably a boy just coz most of the protagonists were boys, natch) who was bored and on like summer break and essentially without real supervision ends up pestering a kind of grumpy neighbor, who sets him the task of staking out a six-by-six foot patch of lawn and just sitting there and making observations about it every day.
At first he hates it and thinks its dumb and is terribly bored, but he comes to be fascinated with it — realizes it's teeming with variety and full of microdramas and essentially learns science and mindfulness without it being preachy or overbearing.
No leads on title or author, just vague sense of karate-kid style "i hate this task it's boring and pointless until until suddenly it's not" style breakthrough.
Help!