Digging in the dirt, planting seeds, and watching them sprout turns the garden into a living classroom where children can witness the wonders of nature’s cycles firsthand.
Gardening with kids and preschoolers fosters a range of developmental skills including responsibility, patience, and teamwork, while also cultivating an appreciation for the environment.
These garden related activities are perfect for tiny hands with big curiosities.
1. Planting Flowers
Planting paper flowers on popsicle sticks in an egg tray is a creative and crafty activity that mimics the concept of gardening. Students can craft paper flowers, attach them to popsicle sticks, and “plant” them in the egg tray compartments.
Learn more: Teach me Mommy
2. Garden Seed Packet Match Game
The Garden Seed Packet Match Game is an educational and interactive activity where players match seeds to their corresponding images or descriptions on seed packets. Each seed packet represents a specific plant or flower, and players engage in memory and matching skills to pair seeds with their appropriate packets.
Learn more: A Mom Stake
3. DIY Vegetable Garden
Transform a simple box and popsicle sticks into a charming DIY Vegetable Garden that brings the joy of gardening to even the smallest spaces. Begin by arranging popsicle sticks within the box to create individual sections for different vegetables.
Learn more: Taming Little Monster
4. A Fun Flower Play Dough Tray
Play dough flowers create a colorful landscape that allows children to grow in this engaging and interactive activity that combines learning with play.
Learn more: Early Learning Ideas
5. Cut the Grass
With this “Cut the Grass” game, kids may venture into imaginative play while learning how to mow a lawn without creating any mess. Using green crepe or construction paper, cut out strips that look like grass blades. Give the kids some kid-safe scissors and let them cut and trim the paper grass as much as they want.
Learn more: Taming Little Monster
6. Grow a Sprout
Growing a sprout on eggshells with faces is a creative and educational gardening activity. Students can use empty eggshells as small planters, adding soil and planting seeds inside. Decorating the eggshells with faces adds a fun and personalized touch to the project.
7. DIY Seed Starter for Kids
Help the children fill each compartment with potting soil. Next, let them choose their favorite seed whether flowers, herbs, or vegetables and plant a few in each section. Water the soil gently and place the seed starter in a sunny spot.
Learn more: Me for Less
8. Make Compost in a Bottle
Take your kids on an instructive and fun composting experience by starting a “Compost in a Bottle” project. This is a great way to get them excited about the benefits of composting.
Learn more: Growing Healthy Kids
9. Sunflower Gardening Project
The Sunflower Gardening Project is an educational and hands-on activity where students engage in planting and caring for sunflowers. This project typically involves sowing sunflower seeds, nurturing the plants as they grow, and observing the different stages of the sunflower life cycle.
Learn more: Teaching 2 & 3 Years Olds
10. Make a Terrarium
Making a terrarium is a creative and hands-on activity where individuals create a miniature ecosystem in a glass container. Participants layer rocks or pebbles for drainage, add soil, and then plant small plants or succulents.
Learn more: Teaching 2 and 3 Years Old
11. Egg Carton Greenhouses
Encourage children to track the development of their seedlings, as this will help them feel accountable and connected to the plant life cycle. The seedlings can be moved into individual pots or a larger garden after they outgrow the egg carton.
Learn more: Hazel and Company
12. Grow Seed in a Jar
By planting seeds in a clear jar, children can observe the roots sprouting and the plant emerging, fostering a connection to nature. This activity sparks curiosity, teaches patience, and provides a simple yet impactful way for preschoolers to engage with the fascinating process of seed germination.
Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands
13. DIY Bug Houses
Make sections of the bug house out of containers, wrapper, and design it to provide comfortable hiding places for different animals. This practical exercise fosters creativity while teaching the value of giving helpful insects in the garden a place to live.
Learn more: Researcher Parent
14. Garden Sensory Bin
Learn how to create your own, simple garden sensory play experience. Kids can get their hands dirty and a do some spring planting.
Learn more: Me for Less
15. Create Invitation for a Flower Garden
Through planting colorful flowers, engaging in floral crafts, and enjoying garden-themed games, children not only learn about the beauty of blooms but also develop fine motor skills and an appreciation for the outdoors.
Learn more: Paper and Glue
16. Thumbprint Flower Pot
A Thumbprint Flowerpot is a creative and hands-on craft activity where individuals use their thumbprints to create flowers on a pot or another surface. Participants dip their thumbs in paint and press them onto the surface to form flower shapes, which can be enhanced with additional details using fingers or brushes.
Learn more: Upstater Ramblings
17. Water Bottle Wind Spirals
By decorating these containers with vibrant paints, markers, or even recyclable materials, kids may let their imaginations run wild. After decorating, cut the bottle into a spiral design to produce a fanciful artwork that will catch the wind.
Learn more: Water Bottle Wind Spirals