Many garden projects let kids embrace their creative side and give them a mini plant sciences lesson as a bonus. So how would you get your little ones invested in gardening while growing their curiosities? All you need is a small workspace in your home and a few supplies to enjoy these indoor gardening activities together.
Germinating seeds is an integral process for growing plants from the seeds up. All you and your little gardeners need are a few seeds of their choice, some paper towels and a non-porous sandwich bag. Fold the paper towels into fours and moisten them with warm water.
Then, place the seeds between the folds of the paper towel and put them in the bag. They should store the seeds under the sink, on top of the fridge or another warm area to get them to germinate. Have them check daily for any signs of development and moisten the paper towel as it dries out.
Starting a seedling tray allows kids to watch the next part of the growing process in real time. They can use their germinated seeds or plant different seeds if they wish. Beans work well for this since they grow quickly and are easy to keep alive after that. Seeds from your fruits and vegetables can work, too.
To get started, have your kids poke holes in the bottom of the divots in an egg carton. Then, fill those cavities with potting soil and poke a seed in the center of each one.
After covering the seed with dirt, they can lightly sprinkle water over the top and place the carton in a sunny area. Check each day to see if the seeds have sprouted and add more water as needed to keep the soil damp but not too wet.
Kids love to see cut vegetables regrow, so put this project on your list of things to do.
Veggies that work best for this project include:
Green onions
Romaine lettuce
Celery
After cutting up the veggies for your meal, give your kids the stem portion and have them put it in water or plant in soil. After that, they just need to put it in the window and watch it grow.
If your kids would love to create their own little ecosystem, have them build a tabletop moss garden.
All they will need is:
Plant saucer with a hole in the bottom
Heavy-duty landscape fabric
Scissors
Potting soil
At least three kinds of moss
Rocks and other decorations
Disposable butter knife
Pruning shears
Cut out the heavy-duty landscaping fabric to fit in the bottom of the plant saucer, and then add potting soil up to the brim. After that, have your little ones arrange their moss and decorations on the soil. Then, they can tuck the moss into the edge with the disposable butter knife and trim it down as they wish.
If these indoor gardening activities for kids inspire a love for growing plants, let them try their hand at container gardening. All they need is a few pots, soil and their plants of choice to see what grows under their care.
