7 Gardening Projects for Kids

Gardening is a skill that is disappearing at a fast rate. Mostly because a lot of people live in apartment buildings with not much space to grow plants.

If you are one of those people who get to spend a few hours every week tending to their own garden, taking care of plants, soaking in the serenity of nature, then consider yourself lucky.

And if you have kids, they are even luckier that they get to spend their time connecting with nature.

Some kids may find basic gardening activities somewhat boring.

If you want them to understand the significance of nature and plants in general, you can get them busy with a gardening project every now and then.

Given below are seven gardening projects for kids—  

1. Construct a Bird House or Bird Perch.

One of the many joys of having a garden is that you can enjoy watching all the birds and butterflies that visit the garden everyday.

They look for food in the flowers and the ground of the garden.

You can make them feel welcome by building a birdhouse or a bird-perch where they can sit, eat, take rest and get shelter when it’s raining.

And since building a birdhouse is not that easy of a task, you will have to take the lead here; especially if your child is young.

If you have a teenager who has experience in building wooden objects for school projects, then you can do this project together without too much guidance.

When it comes to building a birdhouse with a child, it is best to ‘go old school’ and use a hammer to fix the nails into the joints of the birdhouse.

Remember one important thing, do not let your child handle any kind of power-tools.

And if your kid is young, it is best to do the actual constructing part by yourself while letting them watch. Then, involve them in the later stages.

If you want to construct the birdhouse from scratch, you would need about five pieces of wood or plywood.

You can also recycle an old drawer or wine box with a sliding door and turn it into a birdhouse.

If you feel like your kid is too young to work with a hammer and nails, you can simply use super-glue instead of nails for this project.

Though the best material for a birdhouse are wood or plywood, you can also build one with recycled styrofoam or repurposed plastic containers.

Once the house itself is ready, ask the kids to paint it in beautiful colours.

Then comes the part where you need to hang-up the birdhouse.

Make sure that you put it at a place that is easily accessible to the birds and away from direct sunlight.

The birdhouse also needs to be put in a spot where predators (cats, kites etc.) can’t get in easily.

2. Make Rock Seed Markers.

This particular project is especially useful if you plan on taking up a vegetable gardening project for kids.

Once you plant the seeds for your vegetable garden, you would need markers that indicate the location at which specific seeds have been planted or sowed.

The materials you need for this project— quick-drying acrylic paints, paintbrushes and 6-7 pieces of small smooth rocks.

The 1st step is to make sure that the rocks you pick for painting are smooth surfaced and clean.

If they are not, then wash the rocks thoroughly and put them under the sun to dry.

Once they are completely dry, paint the rocks with a coat of white acrylic paint to make the base.

When the coat of paint is completely dry, paint a different vegetable on each of the rocks in correspondence with the vegetables that will be planted in your garden.

Alternatively, you can paint flowers or fruits on the rocks if that is what you are planning to plant in your home garden.

When the painting is done, set the rocks aside and let the paint dry completely.

Once the rocks are ready, you can plant the seeds and place the rocks about 2–3 cm in front of the seeds.

Remember that you must never place the seed markers on top of the spot where you plant the seeds as this may hinder its growth.          

3. Build a Bug Hotel.

With kids’ natural curiosity comes a curiosity for things that are a part of the natural world.

Young kids love to play outside. They love to jump in puddles, climb trees, pluck fruits and flowers from trees when they see one.

Many of you might remember overturning rocks to watch the bugs living underneath them. A lot of kids love bugs.

And that is why building a ‘hotel for bugs’ is one of the most exciting garden activities for 10 year olds and younger kids.

Materials needed for building a bug hotel— a wooden crate, a piece of plywood small enough to fit into the crate, four bricks, a big rock with a smooth surface, one ceramic dish/saucer, a bunch of ‘bug friendly’ material for filling the bug hotel, paint brushes and quick-dry paints.

The first step is to make sure that the crate, piece of plywood and the rock are clean. If they are not, clean these items thoroughly.

Once they are clean, paint these things in bright and beautiful colours. Apply multiple coats and give atleast two hours for each of the coats to paint to dry properly.

Paint the words ‘Bug Hotel’ onto the big smooth rock.

Then, find a quiet and shady spot in your garden to place your bug hotel at. Position the crate in such a way that it is not wobbly.

Put two bricks inside the crate at both sides. Next, stack the remaining two bricks on top of the ones already placed inside.

After that is done, you need to place the piece of plywood on top of the bricks and make another ‘floor’ of the bug hotel.

Then, you need to place the ‘Bug Hotel’ sign on the ground floor. Put the ceramic dish/saucer on top of the bug hotel.

Stuff both the floors of the bug hotel with all the ‘bug friendly’ material you have collected for this project.

These materials can include small pieces of wood, twigs, cardboard pieces, small flower pots and pebbles.

The final step is to fill up the ceramic dish/saucer with fresh water for the bugs to drink from. And your ‘bug hotel’ project is complete.

Leave it alone for a few days. Then check it carefully and you’ll see a variety of bugs taking refuge in the tiny hotel you built together with your child.  

4. Paint a Planter Box.

This is perhaps one of the most simple gardening projects for kids.

Things you will need for this project— paints, paint brushes and an old wooden drawer with some holes at the bottom (for water drainage).

First, you are required to clean the drawer, making sure that it’s ready to be painted on.

Then, apply a coat of fresh paint. Wait for it to dry. When it dries completely, paint another layer of the same colour on the box, and wait for it to dry.

After that, paint small designs (flowers, bugs, rainbows etc.) of your choice. Once again, give it some time to dry.

And voila! Your beautiful planter box is ready for use.

5. Create a Terrarium.

This can be a satisfying gardening activity for adults as well as children. You and your child can create a terrarium together.

Terrariums are tiny gardens housed in transparent (glass) containers. They are somewhat easy to make and maintain.

Hence, they are the perfect project for kids.

Items you will need for creating a terrarium— a clean and clear glass container, moss or charcoal, small pieces of rocks, succulents or other small plants, and potting soil.

Lay down the small pieces of rocks at the bottom of the container. This layer of rocks acts as the terrarium’s drainage system.

Above the rocks, add a layer of moss or charcoal. This layer helps in keeping the terrarium fresh.

After that, put a generous quantity of soil in the container. Then plant the flora species you’ve chosen for your terrarium.

Once that is done, ask your child to decorate the terrarium as she wants to. She can add painted wood pieces, stones or tiny figurines to the terrarium decor.

6. Identify Flowers.

Finding free gardening projects for kids is not really that hard. There are various things kids can do in a garden without spending a penny.

Identifying flowers is one of those projects. It can be a great educational tool that is fun at the same time.

Identifying various flowers is an interesting way to expand your kids’ knowledge about plants and the flora kingdom.

Compared to the other projects mentioned here, this is a fairly simple and easy one.

The first step is to print out photos or pictures of a variety of flowers that is native to the country you are living in.

Then, go out to your garden or local park and match the real flowers with the ones in the photos.

You can also talk about the features (colour, shape, size etc.) of each of the flowers.

If your child likes art projects, both of you can create a scrapbook together with pictures of the flowers with a little bit of details written below each of the flowers.

7. Plant Some Seeds.

When you search for examples of gardening activities, you would see that this is possibly the easiest one.

Gaining an understanding of seeds and how to nurture them is the foundation of gardening.

And the most basic knowledge about seeds pertains to how to plant them.

Items you would need for this project— a wide range of seeds (flowers, vegetables, herbs etc.), pots, potting soil and water.

Introduce the seeds you choose for the project to your child. Then, explain how those seeds grow.

After that, fill the pots up with soil, or ask your child to do it. Then, plant the seeds carefully, as instructed in the packets of those seeds.

Make sure that you place the pots at a sunny spot. Water the seeds as required. Track the plants’ progress as they sprout and begin to grow.      

Gardening Projects for Kids FAQs

How to choose a gardening project for my child?

While choosing outdoor gardening projects for kids, the first thing you need to consider is your child’s interests.    

If your kid loves building things, then you can build a bird house together. If your kid loves painting, then you can paint a birdhouse, rocks or flowerpots together.

Also, if your child is unusually clumsy and tends to get injured easily, it is best to stick to gardening projects that mostly involve painting objects rather than building them.

Do all kids like gardening?

Just like not all adults enjoy gardening, every kid doesn’t like gardening either.

So, in case you have a child that does not prefer playing in the mud or soil, it is best not to force them to engage in gardening projects with you.

Gardening can be a fun activity for you and your child, but only when you both enjoy doing it.      

Who should avoid gardening?

Kids (and adults) who are allergic to certain types of plants, bugs or soil need to avoid gardening as it may pose a risk to their health and well-being.  

Also, it is best for people with asthma and other respiratory issues to avoid gardening as it can trigger their condition and make things worse for them.