Gardening activities for kids
Celebrate National Children’s Gardening Week 2024 with us and get ready to have lots of fun outside with these garden activities for children
Our crafts and activities are perfect for educating your Little Seedlings on all the wonders your garden and the outdoors holds. With warmer weather and school holidays just around the corner too, they’ll be entertained for hours, get some fresh air, and grow their enthusiasm about nature and our planet. All our activities are suitable for children of primary school age, but can be tailored to suit older or younger kids
Reconnect with wildlife and nature and inspire the whole family with our favourite fun gardening activities for kids - from planting, growing, and decorating your garden, there's something for everyone!
Grow a sunflower as tall as you!
Growing your own sunflowers is a wonderful way to add some late summer cheer to your outdoors. Watching your sunflower grow tall is lots of fun. Measure its height as it grows and see if you can nurture it to become as tall as your little one!
Sunflowers take around 13 weeks to grow, so start planting yours as soon as you can. Simply plant your sunflower in a pot filled with multipurpose compost or directly into the ground. Plant the seed pointy edge down and push it into the soil, covering it with a light sprinkling of compost. Keep it in a sunny spot - as their name suggests, they love the sun! Make sure to water it every day until the seed sprouts, then move to weekly watering
Plant a pumpkin pal
Pumpkins come in lots of shapes and sizes and it can be fun watching yours grow. Plus, how cool will it be to carve your very own homegrown pumpkins come Halloween? You can even use them to make your own cakes, muffins, and soups
To grow your own pumpkins simply fill a pot with compost, make a 2cm deep hole to plant your seeds in. Cover the seeds with compost and keep them somewhere warm. After they’ve sprouted a couple of leaves you can transplant outside to a sunny spot sheltered from winds. Water them well, making sure to protect them from slugs and snails too
Become a rock artist
Painting rocks is a lovely way to decorate your garden and add a personalised touch. Find medium or large rocks from your garden – make sure to clean them and they’re completely dry before you begin painting. Then it’s time to unleash your inner artist! You can turn your rocks into bees or ladybirds, use them as plant labels, decorate them with your name, or paint any other fun patterns and designs you like
Plant wildlife friendly flowers
Pollinating insects like bees and butterflies need our help due to habitat loss and climate change. We can all do our bit by planting some pollinator-friendly plants in our garden. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, but some of our favourite summer flowering plants include lavender, foxgloves, sedum and verbena. Plant these flowers directly into a flower bed or in a window box or container. Make sure to keep them free of weeds and water regularly to keep the soil wet, especially during hot days
Not only will these plants attract bees and wildlife, but they’ll also leave your garden looking bee-autiful! After planting, why not make a game of counting how many bees, butterflies and other insects you spot relaxing on your new flowers
Create a mini pond
Adding a pond to your garden is another great way to attract wildlife, and you don't even need a lot of space! With a container such as an old basin, bucket or large unused pot you can create your own mini pond
Pick a semi-shaded spot in your garden and fill your container with water, leaving a few inches of space at the top. Place some rocks or bricks around the inside and outside of your pond to create places for creatures to climb in and out. Add some aquatic plants too that provide creatures with oxygen and food
Be patient! Soon you might be able to spot frogs, insects or birds enjoying the cool waters of your pond
Grow your own sweet strawberries
With just a few simple steps, you can look forward to enjoying your own yummy and nutritious strawberries this summer Choose a container with good drainage and fill it with compost. Plant your young strawberry plants in the soil and keep them in sheltered spot that gets lots of sunshine. Water your plants every day (unless it rains) and make sure to protect your strawberry plants from hungry birds using protective netting Pick your strawberries as soon as they’re ready and enjoy them with pancakes, porridge, ice cream, or you can even make homemade jam – delish!
For even more fun during National Children’s Gardening Week and the rest of summer, check out all our gardening activities for children. You can also join us in-store for one of our free Little Seedlings Club events, which take place on the first Sunday of each month
We’d love to see what your little ones get up to in the garden – tag us in your pictures on social media with @dobbiesgardencentres for your chance to be featured