Creative Garden Projects for Kids

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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.

Gardening projects to do with kids. Dig in to nature!

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Creative Gardening Projects for Kids

Gardening Lab For Kids: 52 Fun Experiments

Buy it Here

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 an excerpt 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.

The images below, by Dave Brown, are from the book. The commentary is my own.

1. Make 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!

Make a bird feeder | Gardening Lab For Kids: 52 Fun Experiments

I make recycled bird feeders from water bottles. See how:

DIY Water Bottle Bird Feeders

2. Seeds 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.

Seed in a bag | Gardening Lab For Kids: 52 Fun Experiments

My best tips for starting seeds indoors are here:

Seed Starting 101

3. Rock 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 | Gardening Lab For Kids: 52 Fun Experiments

I have two rock and stone painting tutorials:

Birds & Owl Painted Stones

Painted Animal Rocks

4. Pollinator 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 | Gardening Lab For Kids: 52 Fun Experiments

I made my bug house from a thrift shop shelf:

DIY Bug House

5. Rain Barrel

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

DIY painted rain barrel | Gardening Lab For Kids: 52 Fun Experiments

DIY Rain Barrel

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!

Buy it Here

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 ♛

Seed Starting for Beginners | Ebook

Seed Starting for Beginners: Sow Inside Grow Outside by Melissa J. Will

$7.99 US | Instant Download

Add to Cart

Complete guide to indoor seed starting. Grow your own garden!
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Comments

  3. This is perfect for my 4 yr old granddaughter. I want to help her love the garden as much as her gramma and greatgramma

  5. Can’t wait to try some of these projects my kidos are going to have so much fun this summer.

  6. As a teacher and a grandmother I would love to use these activities with the children I’m fortunate to work with. Thanks for a terrific blog. I always look forward to it.

  8. What a fabulous book…….my 2 grandchildren would live to share in the fun, in their garden and mine!

  10. I think I need this just as much as the kids..haha..looks like lots of fun things to try & DO!!

  11. This books looks like so much fun! Thanks for giving me this opportunity to win a copy! I have 3 grandsons that NEED to get outdoors!

  13. This book has inspired me already! With 10 grandkids there should be something for everybody to have fun with in this book. And hopefully it will encourage some of the pickier eaters to actually try “green things”. lol. The only one I see having a problem settling on one activity at a time is Grampa… he’s the biggest kid of them all!

  14. Wow a bunch of cool science ideas all in one place! My daughter would enjoy doing these with me.

  15. I would love to win this book for my school Garden Club students. I am always looking for new and creative ideas that give students a chance to blend nature together with crafts.
    Thank you!

  17. I know some children who would love this book. I’d have to read it first of course.
    Aren’t all gardeners just big kids who still love to play in the dirt?

  18. This looks like a wonderful book that will open child’s mind to magical possibilities and beauty in the garden.

  19. Beautiful book! If more people would turn back to the earth for their food and entertainment, then people would think differently about their food and entertainment! 🙂

  20. Each of us has the capacity to “grow a gardener” or two or seventeen.
    Inspiring a child to plant and enjoy a garden is a wonderful legacy we can all achieve.
    Thanks for showcasing another wonderful print resource … digital is OK but it’s just
    so wonderful to snuggle into a corner of the couch on a cold winter’s day with a good book.
    The snow is almost gone … it’s been a few years since I’ve said that so close to May 1st.
    Went a little nuts at Canadian Tire today – but the cool wave pansies called to me AND the
    hellebores sang to me with their pretty flowers and early spring bloom potential and LONG blooming
    potential.
    I really finding your blog in my in-basket.

  21. I want to make all of these projects with my granddaughter who I hope will grow up to be the “Princess of Dirt. I will do everything I can to make that happen. This would be a good start..

  23. My grandkids love garden projects and their Nana (aka me) loves to have fun with them in the garden! Beats playing video games any day! Love the artsy and natural look of the projects in this book. I would LOVE to win this AWESOME book!

  24. Homeschooler would LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEE this book!

  25. Would love to share ideas from this fun book with my grandson this summer…GREAT WAY to get the kids outside and away from the tv and video games….Hurray!!!!!!!

  26. I have 8 grandkids with parents all too busy to garden. Would love to share these ideas with them. Thanks for the chance to win.

  28. I would love to share these fun
    ideas with my five grandchildren and to engage them in my love of nature and gardening!

  30. LOVE YOUR BLOG! I started a Mother Daughter Craft Day using your site as inspiration and ideas! We are making the stone bird houses in a couple of weeks and everyone is SO excited to attend! Thank you Empress!

  33. My nephew is moving near me soon and I will definitely be gardening with him! This book looks awesome for ideas!

  35. My sister runs a children’s gardening program for grades K-8. I would love to win “Gardening Lab for Kids: 52 Fun Experiments” by Renata Fossen Brown to donate to their awesome program and share with all the children!! We both love the Empress of Dirt site and newsletter!

  36. I would be honoured to be the winning recipient! We garden at our preschool and I love to garden with my daughter and grandchildren! Thanks for offering this book as a prize!

  37. My first year as a gardener. I have two grandsons and want to include them in this adventure.

  40. As a retired elementary teacher, I love the combination of art and the science of plants to inspire my young grandchildren! Would love to be a winner !

  41. Great ideas for kids and grandkids. I have two grandsons who would love to try these projects. Thanks

  42. What a wonderful book full of ideas to share with my grands…thanks so much for the opportunity to win a free copy!

  43. Looks like a great book to develop an appreciation of the outdoors in our grandson. Thanks for the great newsletter!

  46. All of the ideas and projects look fun and very educational! Would’ve loved to have had this when we homeschooled!!!
    Your newsletters teach me something every time I open one up! Thank you!

  47. I love kid friendly ideas. Kids can make gardening so much fun! I no longer have kids at home, but love when neighbor kids show an interest in gardening and come by to ‘help’ me!!

  48. I would love to share this book with my grandkids! I think we could have a lot of fun dong the “labs”,

  49. My 4yr old grand-daughter and I love doing outdoor projects together!! I’v been building birdhouse so when she stays with me she has her own area where she works too!! I want to nuild her a dollhouse for her bday in June! Cant wait!

  50. I love your blog and newsletter. This book looks like another great group of activities.

  51. This is a book filled with great ideas that not only little kids but big kids like me would enjoy!!!

  56. I think it is incredibly important to teach kids where their food comes from. What better way to do so than to plant a garden! Thank you for creating such an inspiring and informative site. I love seeing your newsletter in my inbox!

  60. I wish this book was available when I was young. I love all of the ideas you shared from the book. Amazing!

  61. This would be such a valuable resource for so many groups—the elementary school kids, Girl Scouts, 4H, homeschool kids, vacation bible school. WOW!

  62. I’d love to work from a copy of the wonderful children in the garden book . . . we just started a school garden, I’m looking for lots of ideas!

  63. This would be a great fun for me to share with my nieces and nephews! Thank you for the opportunity to win!

  65. Would love to share your creations with our 7 grand-children. So much fun and learning goes into our garden.

    • I have enjoyed all the projects and hope to win the book so I can use it with my daughters 2 & 3 rd grade class.

  68. My little Granddaughters have a wildlife refuge behind their home and your giveaway would be an absolute perfect book for them. Thank you for the chance.

  69. I enjoy all of your information about gardening. You are very creative and are helping me to decorate my garden!

  71. I have three grandsons – all home-schooled. This is a great book for science projects – fun and a learning lesson at the same time. Great book!

  76. What a great book! We only have another month before school is out before the summer and this sounds like it has many great ideas!

  82. Whenever I have a gardening question, this is the first place I come! Thanks for all the info and insights! I have incorporated many into my container garden!

  83. My grand-daighter and I were just taking about starting our garden and different projects we could do together. This would be perfect.

  85. I love these ideas! What a wonderful way to engage kids in outdoor play and learning!

  87. this is very useful for all of us who connect with children through work and play

  89. I had to pin this one to “Keeping em’ busy”. With school soon out and the days of, “MOM, there’s nothing to do… I’m bored!” fast approaching, this book is a must have!

  90. I enjoy your blog & love gardening. This book seems to be full of ideas to get children & grandchildren outside & into gardening & nature. Thanks! Mary Ann

  91. I’m the one to share nature and dirt to my 3 grandkids. Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!

  92. So love your newsletter. You have turned such simple things into works of art and the kids love getting involved. Thanks so much for all you do.

    Jean

  93. Not only do I play in the garden with my grankids, but I also work wi4h choldren at the local community gardens!
    Fun and informative!
    Thanks
    Maryann

  95. This is so much fun! I already sent this on to all of my nieces and nephews. Let’s play!

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