Gardening Activities for Kids!
Gardening with kids in the spring is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to make learning come alive. Whether you’re planting in a big backyard or sprouting beans on your windowsill, the process teaches children responsibility, observation skills, wonder, patience and of course science. And the best part? You don’t have to be a master gardener to get started. Just grab some dirt, a few seeds, and a curious little helper.
Here are some fun spring gardening activities for curious kids.
Seed Observation Station
If you’ve never gardened with kids before, this is a great first step. All you need is:
- A few clear plastic cups or jars
- Paper towels or cotton balls
- Water
- Seeds (beans work great!)
Line the inside of the cup with damp paper towels, press a seed between the paper and the cup wall, and set it in a sunny window. In just a few days, kids will start to see the seed crack open and sprout roots, then a tiny green shoot.
You can even have them draw pictures or take photos of the changes each day.
What they’re learning: seed anatomy, plant life cycle, observation skills, and patience
Make an Herb Garden
Herbs are easy to grow and perfect for little hands. Use small pots or recycled containers to plant basil, mint, chives, or parsley. Let kids decorate the pots with paint or markers to make them their own.
Watering the herbs and watching them grow gives kids a sense of ownership. Plus, they’ll love snipping leaves to smell, taste, or use in simple recipes.
What they’re learning: responsibility, where food comes from, plant care, and sensory exploration
Plant a Rainbow Garden
Turn your garden into a rainbow by choosing flowers or veggies in every color! Let your child help plan it out.Even if you only grow one or two things, involving your child in the color choices makes it feel like their special project.
What they’re learning: color recognition, planning, and basic botany
Dirt Science
Don’t be afraid to get messy! Before you even plant, encourage your kids to explore the soil. Give them a magnifying glass and a spoon to investigate what’s living in the dirt. They can find worms, bugs, roots, and tiny rocks. Compare soil from different spots in your yard. Is one drier? Sandier? More full of life? You can even test soil drainage by pouring water and timing how long it takes to absorb.
What they’re learning: ecosystems, observation, classification, and earth science
Make Garden Markers Together
Use popsicle sticks, flat rocks, or painted spoons to label each plant in your garden. Let your child draw a picture of the plant next to its name.This helps kids take ownership of the space and builds early literacy skills at the same time.
What they’re learning: creative expression, reading readiness, responsibility
Track Growth with a Garden Journal
Encourage kids to keep a simple garden journal. They can draw pictures of what their plants look like, write a sentence or two about what happened that day, or even paste in leaves or petals (once they’ve fallen off!).
It’s a fun way to record their gardening adventure and keep track of their observations.
What they’re learning: writing and drawing skills, sequencing, and observation over time
Garden Themed Children’s Books
