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There are many fun gardening adventures you can have with your children. Here are a few ideas to get you going.
QUICK START GARDENING IDEAS
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Grow a pumpkin for your child to watch grow. |
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Marigold seeds are usually the easiest for children to grow. |
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Let your child help you water indoor plants using a spray bottle of water. |
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Experiment growing plants without water or sun light, see what happens. |
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Grow grass seeds on top of a sponge, water regularly.
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SEED NURSERY
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Give your child the bottom half of an egg carton. |
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Have her fill the cups with dirt or potting soil. |
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Then give her some marigold seeds and have her place 2-3 seeds in each cup and press them into the dirt. |
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Have her water every day or two. |
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When the seeds have sprouted and grown into hearty seedlings, help your child transfer them to a larger pot inside or place them in a garden outside. |
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ATTRACTING BUTTERFLIES
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Set out a pan of water in your garden to attract butterflies. |
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Watermelon rinds also seem to attract butterflies. |
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Plant special plants that attract butterflies. Listed below in Special Gardens.
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GRASS HAIR
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Give your child a plain paper cup. |
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Have him draw a face on one side of the cup. |
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Fill the cup with potting soil. |
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Sprinkle the soil with grass seeds and moisten with water. |
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Water every other day until “hair” grows out of the cup. |
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PERSONAL TERRARIUMS
Your child will love making their own terrarium. You will need two clear plastic cups, small rocks, dirt, small plants, and clear tape.
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Have your child place a few rocks on the bottom of one cup. |
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Then, fill the cup with dirt and plant a small plant in the dirt. |
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Add some water and then place the second cup upside-down on the first and tape around the middle of the cups to hold them together. |
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Place the terrarium in a sunny place. |
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Have your child watch the plant grow and notice how the plant waters it’s self. |
Variation: Let your child add a small figurine inside her terrarium next to the plant.
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CARROT TOP GARDEN
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Cut the top off of two carrots. |
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Place the tops in a shallow pan of water. |
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Watch the tops sprout new foliage. |
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Keep the water level at ¼ inch at all times. |
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SPECIAL GARDENS
Take time this spring to plant a special garden with your child. Choose a small area in a corner of an existing garden or plant the garden in a pot on your patio. Let your child help you decide which kind of garden to plant.
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COLOR GARDEN –Plant colorful flowering plants such as yellow marigolds, red geraniums, white daisies, and purple petunias. |
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PIZZA GARDEN - Plant a tomato and the herbs needed to make pizza sauce. Try a tomato plant (any type that grows well in your area, except cherry). Plant the tomato plant in the middle of your garden, surrounded by oregano, basil and thyme. |
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BUTTERFLY GARDEN – Attract butterflies to your home with plants that provide food and shelter for them. Such as, the butterfly plant, asters, black-eyed Susans, coreopsis, purple coneflowers, sweet alyssum, and verbena. |
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MR. McGREGOR’S GARDEN - Read the tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter before planting this garden with your child. Be sure to include carrots, lettuce, radishes, parsley, potatoes, and beans in this storybook garden. |
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PLANTS AS GIFTS Planting small plants in pots, make great gifts for your children to give to others.
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Let your child decorate a small pot with paints, or glued on items. |
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Fill with dirt and plant seeds or small plants. |
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Let your child care for the plant for a week or so. |
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Then place plastic floral paper on the bottom of the pot, bring the sides up and wrap a ribbon around the pot to hold the paper in place. |
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