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Creative Garden Projects for Kids

Published on April 25, 2014Last updated October 12, 2021 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

This post contains affiliate links.
Read full disclosure statement here.

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Gardening Lab for Kids has 52 fun experiments to learn, grow, harvest, make, play, and enjoy your garden.

How to make rain barrels is one of the projects in the book.

Pollinator station in children's garden.

Creative Gardening Projects for Kids

Insect hotel, rain barrel, bird feeder.
Gardening Lab For Kids: 52 Fun Experiments book.

Gardening Lab for Kids | Amazon

These images are used with permission from Quarry Books who also provided a review copy of this book. Photos by Dave Brown.

The book has instructions for 52 projects plus ideas for ‘digging deeper’.

If you have kids, grandkids, homeschoolers, unschoolers, campers, or students and want creative outdoor projects, this book is packed with great ideas. I don’t have little kids at home now but I still found a bunch of projects I want to make as well.

Consider it a great resource for nature nuts (or kids who just need a little nudge) who just want to get outdoors and do fun stuff.

If you want to see a selection from the book, have a look at this DIY rain barrel project. Good for those who like building and art.

The list below shows some of the projects you will find in the book plus links to related projects here on Empress of Dirt.

1Make A Bird Feeder

What a great way to start a relationship with the garden: make a bird feeder and see who comes to visit! Some kids who have never had the opportunity to really play in the mud and watch insects can be really squeamish about getting outside and exploring. A bird feeder can bridge that gap as they see the direct cause and effect: Hey, I put out that bird seed and look who came to visit us!

Homemade bird feeder.

Other bird-related tutorials

  • Make a bird feeder from water bottles
  • Make a hummingbird feeder with mason jars

2Seeds In A Bag

How beautiful is this? This project is a great way to see not only the new growth that would be above the soil, but what goes on underground. Very cool.

Sprouting seed in bag.

My best tips for starting seeds indoors are here:

  • Seed Starting 101

More Ideas for Kids

35 Playful & Practical Garden Ideas for Kids
Sow, grow, garden art & crafts, and outdoor imaginary play.

3Rock Bugs

A fun idea for the crafty kids: research various bugs, paint your own, and then display them or play with them in the garden.

DIY rock bugs

I have two rock and stone painting tutorials:

  • Birds & Owl Painted Stones
  • Painted Animal Rocks

4Pollinator Palace

I love how bug hotels / pollinator palaces have become so popular lately, combining funky garden art with the intention of attracting a variety of wee wild things.

Pollinator palace.

More on wildlife houses:

  • How to Choose a House for Birds, Bats, Owls, and More

5Rain Barrel

Food grade containers can be transformed into functioning rain barrels with some plumbing supplies.

DIY painted rain barrel.

The tutorial is here:

  • DIY Rain Barrel

Buy the Book

Gardening Lab for Kids book.

Gardening Lab for Kids | Amazon

More projects/ labs in the book:

  • Make a rain gauge
  • Grow mini pizza and salsa gardens
  • Make your own seed tape
  • Grow a butterfly garden
  • Make a clay pot fountain
  • Create a compost bin
  • Make a toad abode
  • Make a plant press
  • Grow a sweet pea teepee
  • and more!

I would have loved a book like this when I was a kid and I found plenty of projects I want to make now.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

Insect hotel, rain barrel, bird feeder.
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Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
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