5 Indoor Gardening Activities for Kids

The winter school holidays have just arrived, which means it's time to bring out the indoor entertainment. On the next cold and miserable day, why not give these simple and exciting gardening activities a go? Whether you have kids or are a bored gardener waiting impatiently for spring, there’s a little fun here for everyone.

Source: Pinterest

Source: Pinterest

1. make EGGSHELL SEED pots

Eggshells are a quick and easy way to D.I.Y your own seed starter pots. Start by using use boiling water to clean the shell’s inside, then poke a small drainage hole at the bottom. Place them back in the cartoon, fill each with moist garden mix and carefully add the seeds. Pop on a windowsill and remember to water. When the seeds start overgrowing, transplant directly into the garden or larger containers. Since they are biodegradable, there’s no need to remove the shells in this process. For some extra fun, you can also draw a face and glue little googly eyes on the shell. Just remember to remove the eyes before transplanting.

Source: Pinterest

Source: Pinterest

2.Make D.I.Y garden labels

There are so many ways you can spruce up your plant labels. You can decorate wooden spoons, use Popsicle sticks, or paint on flat stones. For a more rustic feel, write on corks and pop them on top of bamboo sticks. Decide what will work best for your garden and enjoy an afternoon of arts and crafts.

3.BUILD a mini Greenhouse

All you need is garden mix, two plastic cups, seeds and some tape! Add the mix and seeds to one cup, turn the other upside down and place on top to create a little capsule. Tape around the middle where the two cups meet and puncture a few small holes on top. Voilà! The simplest greenhouse ever constructed.

4. Start a Windowsill Veggie Garden

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Source: Pinterest

Why not windowsill garden your way through winter? For an indoor or windowsill garden, it’s important to choose plants that thrive in small spaces. For example, lettuce and spinach are some of the easiest veggies to grow indoors, as are many herbs. Select pots that drain well and find the sunniest spot you can.

Indoor gardens take regular watering to create the tastiest veggies, so don’t let the soil get too dry. Adding fertilizer is essential to the survival of an indoor garden. Don’t forget to add a little organic compost to boost growth too!

Grow Alfalfa Sprouts

A quick and simple plant to grow indoors with kids is alfalfa sprouts - no soil or sunlight needed! Pop a tablespoon of alfalfa seeds into a glass jar and pour just enough cool water in to cover them. Use a rubber band to fasten a nylon netting/cheese cloth lid on top and allow to soak overnight (or around 6 hours). After they’ve soaked, drain the seeds, rinse them with cold water, and place away from direct sunlight.  For the next few days, rinse morning and night by swirling the seeds in the jar before draining. Around a week or so later you should see green tips sprouting and they’re ready to eat!

5. Create Animal Pot Plants

Source: Pinterest

Source: Pinterest

Take a 2-litre plastic soft-drink bottle (preferably one with the with four “legs” at the bottom), and decide how tall you want your pot plant to be. Use a whiteboard marker to draw a circle around the bottle - this will be the top of your pot. Add two triangles as the ears, aligning each triangle with the centre of the bottle's “leg” below. Use scissors to cut along the lines you’ve drawn and then wipe off the marker. Spray or brush paint of your choice onto the plastic and allow to dry. Draw your desired animal face onto the front. Pop a layer of pebbles or gravel in for drainage, fill with garden mix, and add in your plant. Sit back and enjoy the cutest planter pot ever!