Get Started: Indoor Gardening Activities for Kids

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/

MATERIALS:

• Vegetable scraps of choice

• Water

• Shallow glass or dish (clear if possible)

• Sunny window   

• (Optional) potting soil and container

STEPS:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Place the dish on a sunny windowsill.

4. 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.

5. 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!

6. 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. 

7. 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/

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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Place the potato jar on a warm and sunny windowsill, and monitor the water level to keep the bottom inch of the potato submerged. 

4. 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.

5. (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. 

6. (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.

Children's Activities: Garden Scavenger Hunt

Recommended for ages 3-8

Looking for an activity to get children outdoors? A Scavenger Hunt is a great way to make garden exploration fun and to encourage children to engage with nature. Adapt the hunt to whatever you have in your area. Want to encourage sensory play? Try adding items like “bird song,” “sweet smelling flower,” “crumbly dirt,” a “sweet strawberry / cherry tomato / etc” that help children use all 5 senses.

What you’ll need:

• A template like the one included here or here

• Pencil or marker

What you’ll do

1. Add desired items to your hunt template and print it out for each child. For younger children, include an image of the item and explain what they are going to look for.

2. If you include plants, flowers, insects, make sure to let kids know that they don’t have to pick or catch anything, they can just check the item off the list on paper!

Children's Activities: Easy Paper Butterflies

Recommended for ages 2-5

This simple and colorful craft is a hit with children and helps practice fine motor skills. And bonus: It only requires tissue paper and pipe cleaner. You may display or hang the butterflies from a mobile, but children will probably want to play with them and “fly” them around immediately!

What you’ll need:

• pipe cleaners (cut in half)

• scissors

• colorful tissue paper

• (optional) plastic perler beads

How to assemble:

1. Cut tissue paper into 4” x 6” rectangles in several different colors. Children can select at least 3 colors of paper and stack them on top of each other.

Optional: you may want to cut or have children cut a slight curve in the center. Older children may want to cut the edges of paper into scallops or curves for the butterfly wings.

2. Bend the piece of pipe cleaner in half. Take the tissue papers and scrunch them up in the middle, then slide the pipe cleaner over the tissue.

3. Twist the pipe cleaner to secure the tissue paper.

4. Separate tissue layers to “fluff” out the wings. You have a butterfly!

5. Children may want to string beads onto the “antennas” (ends of the pipe cleaners) before twisting them to secure the beads.

Children's Activities: Germination Exploration

Recommended for ages 3-10

This indoor activity uses simple household materials to show children the magic of seed germination! Using a clear plastic sandwich bag, children can watch as their seeds sprout and grow roots! Complement this activity with books including: How a Seed Grows, by Helene J. Jordan, How Does a Seed Grow? by Sue Kim, One Bean, by Anne Rockwell, or What Do Roots Do? by Kathleen V. Kudlinski.

What you’ll need:

• 2 - 3 seeds  (large seeds such as beans work best!)

• Water

• Stapler

• Clear ziplock bag

• Folded paper towel

• Tape

• Craft sticks (optional)

How to assemble:

1. Place a damp, folded flat paper towel into a ziplock bag. Squeeze the paper towel so it is damp but not soaking.

2. Assist children with stapling 3-5 staples about halfway up the bag. This will keep the beans in the right place so that there's room to watch the roots grow.

3. Children can place seeds into the bag. Loosely zip closed the top of the bag. 

4. Children can write their names on a wood craft stick, which can be glued to the bottom of the bag (lay flat to dry)

5. Tape the bag onto a wall or window. Monitor the paper towel and add water as needed to keep it damp.

6. Watch what happens!

TIP: soak seeds in water in a bowl the night before, as many seeds sprout faster when soaked prior to planting..