Gardening activities to do with kids - from herb planting to making a daisy chain

Whether you have access to a garden or not, there are plenty of easy planting and gardening activities you can do with little ones during lockdown to encourage their green thumbs. 

Plant herbs for cooking

If you can get hold of basil, parsley or other herb seeds, plant them in a small pot with your children and watch them grow together.

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The kids can help with watering, and best of all, the fully-grown herbs will encourage them to get hands-on in the kitchen too. 

Create an indoor greenhouse 

If, like many families, you don’t have access to a greenhouse - you can create one using just two plastic cups. See instructions on doing this here.

Re-grow veg from scraps 

Want to cut down on food waste while giving the kids something fun to do? Certain veg scraps can be re-grown easily at home, some using only water - if you can’t access soil.

Create “egg head” plants

Don’t chuck away those empty egg shells - use them to make fun planters with your kids.

This tutorial suggests which seeds to use and how to put the egg heads together - just make sure to wash the shells thoroughly first!

Grow your very own magic beanstalk 

Live out bedtime stories in real life by planting your very own beanstalk - all you’ll need is a dry bean and a container to let it sprout in. 

Make a butterfly feeder 

If you have access to some outdoor space, now is a great time of year to create a gorgeous butterfly feeder to attract these pretty creatures to your home.

This website has instructions on how to build one - you can switch out any decorations you don’t have to whatever you have lying around.

Use an egg box for an indoor garden

Once you’ve finished all the eggs in a carton, you can upcycle it to make your own mini garden that kids will love to watch grow. 

Find simple instructions on how to do this here.

Recycle wellies into plant pots 

If you haven’t a spare egg box or just want a more quirky-looking plant, fill your kids’ old wellies with soil and plant some seeds in them - the results are pleasingly nice to look at.

Create a garden scrapbook

Either using leaves from the garden or from on a daily walk, keep your kids engaged with nature by encouraging them to stick leaves into a scrapbook.

Over time, they will be able to see a change in colours and types of leaves, helping them to learn about the seasons.

Make a daisy chain

One very low-effort activity you can do with kids is creating daisy chains, necklaces or crowns by simply collecting daisies and threading them together. 

If you’ve never made one before, you can find instructions on how to thread them together here.

Build a wormery 

If your kids aren’t too squeamish about worms, you can teach them about how worms turn plant waste into soil with this wormery.

The BBC has instructions on how to build one here.