National Children’s Gardening Week Activity Ideas
Date: May 4, 2021 - by Harmony at Home Head Office Team 
National Children’s Gardening Week takes place annually and this year runs from Saturday 29th May to Sunday 6th June 2021 and, in many areas, coincides with half term school holidays. The event supports the national charity Greenfingers who are dedicated to supporting children who spend time in hospices around the UK by creating inspiring gardens for them to relax in and enjoy. You can find out more about National Children’s Gardening Week and Greenfingers by visiting https://www.childrensgardeningweek.co.uk/
Here are some activity ideas you can do with children of varying ages to celebrate National Children’s Gardening Week and for most of them you don’t even need a garden!
Go on a bug hunt
Hunting for minibeasts is a great activity for children of all ages and provides the opportunity to discuss different habitats and how to safely handle such small creatures as well as how some help our gardens to grow. The Wooland Trust have some top bug hunting tips and a checklist you can download here > https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/04/minibeast-hunt/
Rock/pebble painting
Simply collect some rocks/pebbles and wash them with water. Then let you child paint a design on them using acrylic paint before using them to brighten up your indoor plant pots. If you would prefer to place them around your garden be sure to apply a coat of gloss varnish, after the rocks/pebbles have been painted, to protect them from the rain.
Leaf printing
A very simple activity to organise. Take your child out for a walk and collect some leaves. When you return home paint the leaves with your child and allow them to print their patterns on to some paper. Older children may like to use the prints as a starting point to create a bigger picture from.
Grass heads
For this activity you will need a pair of tights, some grass seed, some compost, an elastic band, some collage materials, glue and a cup of water. Start off by cutting the bottom half off of a pair of tights and putting a good handful of grass seed in to the toe area of the tights. Top this with some compost and then tie a knot in the end. Pinch a small piece of the compost filled area and wrap the elastic band around it to create a nose. Use the collage materials to create the remaining parts of the face (eyes, mouth etc.) and stich them in place using the glue. When the glue has dried fill the cup with water and stand the grass head in it. Water the top of the grass head, where the grass seeds are, and check and water as required each day. Within a few days you should see the grass seed starting to grow and become the hair for your grass head.
Flower pot painting
provide your child with some terracotta plant pots and some acrylic pain and allow them to decorate the pots. When the paint has dried, if you will be using the pots outside, apply a coat of gloss varnish to protect them from the rain.
Grow potatoes in a pot
Growing your own potatoes at home is easy and you can do it on a balcony if you do not have a garden. Gardner’s World have some tips on how to grow your own potatoes in a pot here > https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-a-pot/
Make a mini greenhouse
Using a large plastic drinks bottle, 2 litre one is ideal, discard the lid and cut the bottom half off of the bottle and make a few small holes in the bottom to enable drainage. Fill with compost, plant your seeds in it and water well. Make a few slits around the edge of the bottom of the top half of the bottle to enable it to be fitted over part that is now filled with compost and seeds. Stand your mini greenhouse on a plate to catch any drips and place on a windowsill in the sunshine. Remember to water your seeds regularly and, when they have grown large enough, they can be transferred to a pot or to the garden.
The children’s Gardening Week website has some more ideas for activities you can do including building a hedgehog feeding station. You can find more details here > https://www.childrensgardeningweek.co.uk/fun-things-to-do/
