These garden activities for kids provide hours of outdoor learning and fun. Start with basic seed sowing, grow a beginner vegetable garden, or spend time outdoors making garden-inspired arts and crafts. We’ve also included imaginative play ideas.
For more also see Creative Garden Projects for Kids.
Creative Gardening With Kids
The goal is simple: encourage kids to fall in love with life outdoors through time spent in the garden.
Start with learning to sow seeds and tend to plants. Use those skills to grow a family food garden. And allow lots of time for free play and imagination. It’s all good if we raise a new generation to love and respect nature and delight in it.
You know your child and their interests and I encourage you to browse the suggestions and choose activities that fit.
I was one of those free-range kids who still loves the garden today because nothing was forced on me: my parents just let me play and explore and grow things that I was curious about. I’ve always appreciated this and hope I have done the same for my kids.
Some children will love the science of growing plants and making compost, others will love photographing insects, or painting plant tags, or making up whimsical stories while playing in a makeshift garden fort. And it’s all good. If you missed out on this stuff as a kid, it’s your time too.
Let’s dig in.
Sow Seeds
1Beginner Seed Sowing
Beginner | Indoors or Outdoors
This is a good starting point for everyone: learn how to sow seeds and nurture them into plants.
Start seeds like peas or beans indoors by a window. When they get big, transfer them to a large pot and continue growing them indoors or outdoors (if temperatures are favorable).
Supplies
- Seeds – Follow sowing instructions on packet
- Flower pot or large cup with drainage holes
- Potting mix
Learn more: Seed Starting for Beginners and follow the instructions on the seed packet.
Want a weekly sowing plan? 1-2-3 Vegetable Sowing Plan
It depends on the plant, but in general, when spring temperatures are steady at 60°F (15°C) or higher, you can also start sowing seeds outdoors. Some plants like it warmer, other tolerate cooler soil.
2Grow Fairy Carrots in a Jar
Beginner | Indoors or Outdoors
This is a fun beginner project: grow tiny carrots in a mason jar or small flower pot. It’s best in a pot with drainage holes but use what you have. With a clear container you can see the roots as the plants grow and harvest sweet little carrots.
Supplies
- Carrot seeds
- Mason jar or flower pot
- Potting mix
Instructions: How to Grow Fairy Carrots in Jars
3Make Seed Tapes
Fine Motor Skills | Indoor DIY
Some seeds are so tiny they are nearly impossible to sow. Seed tapes to the rescue! This project will appeal to kids who enjoy fine motor skills and organization.
Tiny seeds are attached to tissue paper with a simple flour glue. The whole thing is planted at sowing time—the tissue will gradually dissolve.
Supplies
- Seeds
- Toilet paper or tissue
- Flour and water
- Paint brush or pencil
Instructions: How to Make Seed Tapes
4Grow Salad Greens in a Container
Beginner | Indoors or Outdoors
Leafy greens are one of the easiest crops to grow. They are edible throughout the growth cycle and many mature within 6 weeks. Plus, some regrow several times after cutting the leaves with scissors. This project can be done indoors or outdoors.
Supplies
- Seeds – Follow sowing instructions on packet
- Flower pot or window box with drainage holes
- Potting mix
Get a pack of mesclun salad mix seeds and see How to Grow Salads Indoors for more information.
5Regrow Food Scraps Into Plants
Beginner | Indoors
Have you seen those articles online claiming you can grow your own produce from existing food scraps? They are misleading. But, if the right parts of the plant are intact, you can make some veggies continue growing or grow their seeds into plants. Two good starter projects including sowing the pit of an avocado or a ginger root.
Supplies
- Viable vegetable scraps: options include avocado, ginger, green onions, celery, and more.
- Paper towel and plastic bag or container
- Flower pot or large cup with drainage holes
- Potting mix
Learn more: 7 Fruits and Veggies to Regrow and
39 Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs to Regrow From Scraps.
Recommended Books
Plan and Grow a Garden
6Start a Veggie or Flower Garden (or Both)
Intermediate | Outdoors in Containers or In Ground
Once you’ve got the hang of seed sowing and basic plant care, it’s time to plan a veggie garden. Most crops can grow in containers (pots, window boxes, or raised beds) or in the ground. Work with what you have and sow where the sun shines.
Some kids really love having their own designated garden space where they can grow what interests them.
Do you want to grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, or fruits? Or some of everything?
Resources
How to Grow Your First Vegetable Garden walks you through everything you need to get started.
The book Square Foot Gardening with Kids is a good basic beginner guide.
7Grow a Theme Garden
Intermediate | Outdoors
There are countless possible garden themes: pick a plant, color, superhero, or other topic that interests your child and select plants and garden art based on the theme.
- Plants for Butterflies and Other Pollinators
- Plants for Hummingbirds
- Grow a Moon Garden: Choose white flowers that reflect moon light or grow moonflowers that only open at night.
- Grow a Pizza Garden: veggies and herbs for toppings & sauce.
- Color-Themed Garden: choose plants all with certain color leaves or flowers. Or combine a few favorites.
- Superhero Garden: spiderman, batman, superwoman—what do they make you think of?
Some seed sellers and plant nurseries bundle seeds or plants by theme.
8Grow Giant Sunflowers
Beginner | Outdoors – In Ground
This one takes time but will be fun. To grow really tall sunflowers, you have to start with the right seeds. I’ve listed suggestions for sunflowers that get either huge flowerheads and/or grow really tall (16-feet!).
Supplies
- Giant sunflower seeds – Follow sowing instructions on packet
- Outdoor garden
See How to Grow Giant Sunflowers for seed recommendations and growing tips.
9Grow a Plant Teepee
Intermediate | Outdoor
DIY Project – In Ground
You’ve probably seen these lovely living tents. You start with a basic structure made from bamboo poles or other supports and grow climbing vines around the base. Seed options include sweet pea vines, nasturtium vines, cucumbers, squash, scarlet runner beans or tall sunflowers (no supports needed).
Supplies
- Seeds – tall sunflowers, climbing vegetables or other vines
- 8-foot bamboo or other support posts
- Twine
Check your seed packets for sowing instructions.
Grow Your Imagination
10Make Mud Pies and Dandelion Crowns
Everyone | Outdoors
I had to include this. Outdoor play is a wonderful for kids and there’s nothing like making mud pies, playing with sand, hide and seek, with lots of laughter and running around. If you have the space, get everyone off screens and be free to play.
If you’ve got lots of flowers or flowering weeds, it’s time to make a flower crown. Dandelions and daisies work nicely.
11Make a Fort
Everyone | Outdoors
Sometimes a simple idea creates the most memorable experience. Have you got old bed sheets or sleeping bags or curtains and some clothes pegs? It’s fort making time. Once the fort is ready, it’s time to play, read, write, draw, and watch birds from the cozy nook.
Supplies
- Bed sheets, curtains, sleeping bags
- Clothes pegs
- Patio furniture (for structure)
12Make a Miniature Garden
Beginner and Intermediate | Indoors or Outdoors
This is a project you should be able to do without spending any money. Use toys you already have to create a little play world in the garden. If you want to keep it ongoing, make it in a container of some kind so it can be moved when rain is expected.
Supplies
- Small toys or fairy garden miniatures
- Suitcase, old baking sheet, or other container
- Grass lawn, soil, sand, or plants (optional).
Ideas
13Write and Read Garden Stories and Poetry
Everyone | Outdoors
Find a comfortable place to sit, grab a notebook and see where the muse leads you. Thoughts, stories, poems, …. Anything goes. Just enjoy a quiet time outdoors.
14Put on a Play or Puppet Show
Everyone | Outdoors
If your child is a natural story teller or performer, it’s show time. Set up a simple performance area, hold some rehearsals, and bring your patio chairs at show time.
Stuck on the script? Use a favorite movie or story plot as the starting point.
Prop Ideas
- Puppets, toys, books, dress up clothes
15Make a Movie or Stop Motion Animation
Advanced | Camera and Computer
Got a budding filmmaker or future YouTube star? With the garden as the stage, any camera can be used to shoot movies or create stop motion animations. Film outside and edit indoors on a rainy day.
Most computers have access to an edit program like Moviemaker or iMovie.
Garden Arts & Crafts
16Make Stepping Stones
Intermediate | Outdoor DIY
Stepping stones could be for hopscotch or a garden path. Decorate ready-made paving stones or get a DIY kit and include handprints or footprints—or make impressions of sticks and leaves.
Get a Stepping Stone Kit here | Amazon
17Hand Paint Stones
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
Wash and dry stones and use craft paints to create hand-painted ladybugs, bees, spiders, strawberries and more. Or make a set of stone plant markers for your garden vegetables.
Instructions: Stone Painting for Beginners | Paint Strawberry Rocks
18Create Plant Markers
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
Make decorative plant markers for the plants in your garden. It’s also a nice gift idea for a favorite gardener.
Supplies
- Paint stir sticks, wooden spoons (check the dollar store), scrap strips of wood, popsicle sticks, old canning lid jars, stones.
- Paint and markers suitable for surface.
19Make Garden Treasure Jar Luminaries
Beginner with Adult Help | Garden Arts & Crafts
The glue for this one will require adult supervision. Use flat-bottom marbles (glass gems) and old food jars to create garden luminaries. Add a solar votive light to make them glow at night. When my kids were little they liked to hide secret notes inside.
Supplies
- Small food jars with lids
- Glass gems (flat-bottom marbles)
- Adhesive
20Paint Flower Pots
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
It’s possible to paint both clay and some plastic pots with the right preparation and paint. If you have a bunch of pots in different size, you can also create clay pot people and pets with them.
Tutorial: How to Hand Paint Flower Pots and
Clay Pot Garden Art Ideas
21Create Leaf and Flower Prints
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
There are lots of ways to do this. One easy way is to lightly brush acrylic craft paint onto leaves and then press the painted size down on paper.
Flower pounding is another method. You take colorful flower petals, sandwich them between pieces of paper or plain cloth, and gently hammer them until the pigments transfer to the paper below. There are plenty of tutorials online.
Creative Record Keeping
22Photograph the Garden
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
I loved lending my kids a camera when they were little. They had so many funny and creative ways of taking pictures.
Sometimes the whole set of images was silly selfies. Other times it was blurry close-ups of insects, buds and blooms, the underside of plants, or the secret life of ants. Give them the freedom to document the garden how they see it. Homeschoolers could pick a curriculum topic and document it.
23Paint or Sketch the Garden
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
Set up a table and chair with the art supplies and your child is set. You might want to join in too and create your own garden painting.
Supplies
- Paper or canvas
- Craft paints, watercolors, paint brushes
- Colored pencils, markers
24Keep a Garden Journal
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
A garden journal can be anything your child wants it to be, depending on their personality and interests.
Some will enjoy documenting seed sowing, listing seed names, dates, sowing conditions, daily changes and wildlife sightings.
Others will want to be more artful with sketches or pictures and poems. Let them lead the way. It’s very satisfying to get through a whole gardening season with a full journal in hand. The practical notes also serve as good reminders for next year.
25Learn Your Plant Hardiness Zone
Intermediate | Garden Fundamentals
Plants and seeds are sold with zones listed on the tags so we’ll know if they are suitable for our growing regions.
Science-minded kids can research their own gardening zone number and look up suitable plant options. This is also a good opportunity to learn about annuals and perennials.
Find Your Frost Dates & Hardiness Zone
- Plant Hardiness Zones |
United States | 
Canada
These are listed on seed packets and plant tags to guide your choices.
- Average Frost Dates | Use this calculator at Almanac.com. Enter your city and state or province to find your first and last frost dates and number of frost-free days.
26Create a Garden Map
Intermediate | Drawing & Measuring
Got a map maker in the family?
Having a map of your garden is helpful both for plant care and future planning.
Depending on the child’s interests and abilities, this could be a simple sketch or a map made to scale.
Young geographers may enjoy plotting it out and listing all the existing plants by name.
Mystery plants can be identified through photos (reverse lookup on Google), a plant identification app, or have an adult ask in a plant ID group online.
DIY Garden Projects
27Make a Hypertufa Planter
Intermediate | Garden Arts & Crafts
This is fun for older kids who like a hands-on mud-pie-inspired project with adult assistance.
Portland cement and other ingredients are combined to form unique planters. It can be messy but it’s really fun.
Tutorial: How to Make Hypertufa Garden Creations
28Make a Tabletop Fountain
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
With a small recirculating pump and some watertight containers, you can create a tabletop fountain for your patio or balcony. While too small for fish, you may be able to grow water plants in there.
Tutorials: How to Build a Patio Water Feature and
How to Make a Fairy Garden Fountain
29Make a Compost Pile
Intermediate | Outdoors
Some kids will love this, especially if they get the eco-friendly aspect of it, others may not.
Depending on your situation, a compost pile could be a designated area in the garden, a hole in the ground, or a container with a lid. Food scraps and yard waste are combined together encouraging microbes to do their magic, breaking everything down into beautiful garden soil.
It’s an ongoing science lesson, requires physical work, and provides free nutrients for your garden.
Learn More: Composting 101 for Beginners
Insects, Birds, and Butterflies
30Make a Pollinator Palace
Beginner | Wildlife DIY
Also called bug houses, these are collections of natural materials providing insect habitat.
For the one pictured here, I used a house-shaped wood shelf and added items found in my garden including twigs, trimmed branches, and pinecones. If insects nest in it, you’ll want to replace the contents each year.
31Make a Water Feeder or Puddler
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
Is fresh water available for living things in your garden?
Water feeders are simple to make. Place it on or near the ground or hang it from a tree branch and provide clean, fresh water daily. Birds, bees, dragonflies, butterflies and more will all make use of it.
Instructions: How to Make a Butterfly Water Feeder
32Make a Toad House
Beginner | Wildlife DIY
If you have toads or frogs in your garden, give them shady hiding spot.
A flower pot on its side, half buried in the soil makes a nice hidey hut.
34Make a Recycled Bird Feeder
Intermediate | Garden Arts & Crafts
Old plastic soda pop bottles can be made into hanging bird feeders.
Instructions: DIY Water Bottle Bird Feeder
Using Natural Treasures
34Make Pressed Flowers
Intermediate | Garden Arts & Crafts
Any leaves, twigs, or flowers can be saved and dried as pressed flowers. Keep them in collections or use them for crafts.
This can be done quickly in a microwave oven or the old-fashioned way by pressing them between absorbent sheets of paper inserted into heavy books. You can also buy flower presses.
Instructions: How to Make Pressed Flowers and Leaves
35Start an Outdoor Natural Treasure Collection
Beginner | Garden Arts & Crafts
Similar to a bug house, I have shelves in my garden where I collect natural treasures. It’s stuff I like that I find while working in the garden.
Whether it’s a beautiful piece of lichen that has fallen off a tree trunk or an old bird’s nest, there are so many beautiful finds.
Collect old wasp nests, dried seed pods, pinecones, and more.
Always wear gloves while handling these materials and wash your hands afterwards.
Nature is beautiful. Gardening is a wonderful at any age. Let’s enjoy it.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
