Simple Indoor Gardening Activities for Kids

It’s almost spring, which is a great time to explore plant and garden activities with children. There are many fun options for families even if you do not have an established garden or an outdoor growing space. Last season, we shared a great indoor seed germination project. This post introduces two family-friendly activities that require very few materials or growing experience, use left-over “kitchen scraps” and easy to find vegetables, and provide a hands-on growing experience for children of all ages.

Regrowing Food from Vegetable Scraps

This project can be done with a variety of common vegetable scraps, such as green onions, romaine lettuce, or celery (bottom 2-3”). You may also use the “tops” (top 1-1.5”) of root vegetables like carrots and beets with the same technique.

Image from https://diyjoy.com/how-to-regrow-supermarket-lettuce-in-water/ — *Image from* *https://diyjoy.com/how-to-regrow-supermarket-lettuce-in-water/*

MATERIALS:

Vegetable scraps of choice
Water
Shallow glass or dish (clear if possible)
Sunny window
(Optional) potting soil and container

STEPS:

Keep the bottom 2-3” of celery, lettuce or green onion. If using root vegetables, keep the top 1-1.5” of the carrot, beet, radish, etc.
Place the vegetable ends in a shallow dish or glass and cover with a small amount of water, making sure to only cover about ½” of the base.
Place the dish on a sunny windowsill.
Replace with fresh water daily or when you notice the water in the dish is getting murky or brown. This is a great task for kids.
Watch the plant grow! New growth will emerge from the center of the scraps. Older kids may enjoy measuring and tracking the growth of the new plant and watching for the emergence of roots in the water. The plants are usually fast growing and fun to watch!
After ~2 weeks, you should see new roots growing in the water. At this point you can either cut off and eat the new leafy growth, or you can plant the base of the vegetable in a container with potting soil and allow it to grow even larger. Root vegetables like carrots will need to be transplanted into soil to fully regenerate.
If you re-pot the plant, continue to water it near the soil, keeping it moist but not soggy. When the plant is your desired size, harvest and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Houseplant

Image from https://www.reddit.com/r/houseplants/comments/a6redx/simple_and_fun_sweet_potato_in_a_vase_ive_always/ — *Image from* https://www.reddit.com/r/houseplants/comments/a6redx/simple_and_fun_sweet_potato_in_a_vase_ive_always/

Sweet potatoes are vining plants with heart-shaped leaves that make a beautiful and easy to set-up houseplant. This project is an excellent demonstration of plant growth for children, and has the option of extending to an outdoor project, if desired.

MATERIALS:

Whole Sweet potato (*may have better luck with organic varieties)
Jam or Mason jar
Water
Toothpicks
Sunny window
(Optional) potting soil and container

STEPS:

Stick 3 - 4 toothpicks into the midpoint of the raw sweet potato, about half way down the length. These will rest on the lip of the jar to suspend the potato above the water.
Fill the jar with water and place the potato into the opening of the jar with the “pointed” end facing down and submerged into the top inch of water.
Place the potato jar on a warm and sunny windowsill, and monitor the water level to keep the bottom inch of the potato submerged.
After 2-4 weeks, you should be able to see new root and leafy growth. This is a great chance to talk to children about the parts of the plant and the role of roots in “drinking” water to keep the plant alive. Ask children to observe changes in the plant; older kids might enjoy recording and measuring the new growth.
(Optional) When the roots grow long enough to reach the base of the jar, you may re-pot the potato in a container with potting soil and compost blend. The pot should be big enough to contain the roots without cutting or folding them. This will allow the plant to continue to grow, and you can continue to transplant into larger pots as a houseplant when the roots outgrow the container.
(Optional) You may also break off the new shoots from the top of the potato (make sure you get at least 4-6”) or plant them outdoors as “slips” if you want to obtain a harvest later. Children LOVE digging for sweet potatoes! Sweet potato vines are sprawling and will need either space or a trellis to grow on.