Squish your hands in the dirt. How does it feel? Let’s add some water. What does it look like now? How does that flower smell? We grew a vegetable… let’s eat it and see how it tastes! Hear that crunch when we bite into it? As you can see, it’s easy to incorporate sensory play into a gardening activity!
Kids get great enjoyment from being outdoors. They’re curious, taking enjoyment from learning when it’s practical and creative. What’s more, they get the satisfaction of watching something evolve from a tiny seed into a beautiful plant… or even vegetables they can go on to eat.
Gardening is often overlooked in schools, however it can help to develop a number of life skills, as well as offering environmental education. There’s plenty of guides available online that show you how to plant a seed, however we prefer to do things a little differently! So whilst the kids are still in lockdown, here’s a few of our favourite gardening activities the little ones can turn their hands to.
Build A Bug Hotel
OK, so this is a big one and you’ll need access to materials you may not have lying around at home. However, if you can source them safely and have them delivered, it’s well worth the effort.
It should take approximately 2 hours. You can follow the instructions provided here.
Decorate A Plant Pot
This one’s a little simpler! Grab the plant pots and the paintbrushes and let the kids imaginations run wild. The more colourful the better! Follow instructions here.
Make A Bird Feeder
Making homemade bird feeders for your backyard is a fun way for you and your kids to get to know which birds are native to your area, and a great way to help out your feathered friends when their food sources are scarce in winter-time. Follow instructions from Birds & Bloom here.
Make An Origami Seed Packet
If you have favourite plants you like to grow every year it makes sense to harvest your own seeds to sow.
These pretty seed envelopes are fun to make and can be created using any spare paper you may have lying around. Get the kids involved and they’ll learn an ancient Japanese art at the same time! Simply follow instructions here.
Caterpillar Magic Trick
Imagine waking up one morning with huge fluttering wings on your back, bursting out in a kaleidoscope of colours. That’s how life goes for our hungry caterpillar friends.
Watching a wriggly caterpillar turn into a magnificent butterfly is brilliant fun for all the family. Read how to do it here.
Not everyone has access to a garden, so if you don’t, indoor herb gardens are a great idea. You can follow instructions here. It’s fairly simple, you can get the kids involved and it will smell amazing!
We hope this encourages your little ones to become a bit more Green fingered. If it does, we’d love to see the results. Simply tag us on any of our social media channels via @happylinenco.
Love,
Lucy
