Activities

Fun garden ideas for families or informal groups.

Explore below!

Our three favorite activities

A handmade sun catcher in a window, with colorful flowers. Garden Suncatchers Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Rocks and flower petals Pollinator Water Station Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
seed viewer Seed Viewer Preschool, K-2
A purple, blue, and green splatterpaint with a pinecone nearby. Painting with Pinecones K-2, 3-5
An apron-shaped piece of paper on a green backgound. The paper has the words "My seed packet" on it, and other small words and drawings in colorful marker. My Seed Packet K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Two strips of paper in a glass of liquid; the paper is yellow at the bottom and white at the top. Leaf Pigments Experiment K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Children jumping up and crouching down, about to jump. There is garden produce in front of them and a building behind them. Garden Games K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A plate of sugar cookies with edible flowers Edible Flower Cookies Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A paper hummingbird on a pipecleaner, which is twirled around a person's finger. Garden Finger Puppets Preschool, K-2, 3-5
A bouquet of dried colorful flowers Preserving Buds and Blooms 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A clear glass jar, filled with water with acorns sunk to the bottom and also floating on the top of the water. Acorn Sink or Float Experiment Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Three houseplants in pots. The pots have cut-out eyes and mouths pasted on. Funny Face Planters Preschool, K-2, 3-5
A handmade sun catcher in a window, with colorful flowers. Garden Suncatchers Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Rocks and flower petals Pollinator Water Station Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A brown mushroom growing in moss. Decomposition Nature Walk Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A smiling child holds out a seedling. Start a Legacy Plant 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
White pieces of paper attached to a green bush Create a Wishing Tree Preschool, K-2, 3-5
A miniature playscape of tiny animals, blue glass stones, and small green plants. Small World Play in the Garden Preschool, K-2
A handmade paper journal that reads My Field Journal with a drawing of a tree. The background is red. Make a Field Journal Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Carved radishes and a carved turnip Vegetable Carvings Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A mason jar lantern with autumn leaves on the outside Autumn Leaf Lanterns Preschool, K-2, 3-5
Pumpkins with jack-o-lantern faces painted on them, lined up on the edge of a garden bed with orange flowers in it Pumpkin Play Preschool, K-2, 3-5
Cacao pods Creating with Chocolate Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A child standing over egg cartons filled with soil 10 Reuse and Repurpose Activities Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A frame and a paper with brown / purple watercolor paintings. Watercolors from the Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A butterfly and a yellow insect visit bright pink flowers Biodiversity Detective Preschool, K-2
A child sitting with crossed legs and their arms out in a meditative pose Mindfulness in the Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A young child holding a green plastic watering can Practice Fine Motor Skills in the Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5
child in garden with face partially hidden by plants Using Garden Books as Windows and Mirrors Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8
A child's hand on top of a painting of lots of hands Create a Collaborative Mural Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A child stands in front of a vertical shoe organizer that is planted with soil and plants. Pocket Planter Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Plant a Living Diorama Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Thanks a Bunch! K-2, 3-5
Design a Healing Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
plant fall bulbs for spring blooms Bulbs: Fall Planting for Spring Blooms Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
child sorting weeds into paper bag Weigh the Waste Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
yellow mushroom in woods Fun with Fungi K-2, 3-5
Make a Pollinator Field Guide Preschool, K-2
Child peering out from a bean fort Friendship Fort Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8
Earth Day Fun Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
seed paper in shape of earth Earth Day Wildflower Seed Paper Preschool, K-2, 3-5
3 jars of pickled vegetables Easy Refrigerator Pickles Activity Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8
Paper heart valentines on red background Homemade Paper Valentine Hearts Preschool, K-2, 3-5
sketching a tree A Year in the Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
vegetable kabob Rainbow Vegetable Kabobs Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Yellow butterfly on a purple flower Plant a Butterfly Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A young child in a hot pink shirt looks down at their belly, where a butterfly has landed Little Seeds Pollinator Pals Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8
Propagating baby succulent plants Grow Baby Succulents Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
making a lasagna garden Make a Lasagna Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Hummingbird activity Hooked on Hummingbirds Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
bug hunt Bug Hunt Preschool, K-2
A clear soda bottle with the top cut off holds a plant growing in water. Next to the bottle is a silver piece of equipment that looks like a computer mouse DIY Hydroponics Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Pollinator Patch The Pollinator Patch Preschool, K-2, 3-5
A young child, smiling softly to the camera, holds a marker to paper, writing a math equation. Plant Math Fun Preschool, K-2, 3-5
pollinator journal Pollinator Journal Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Two young children smile and hold a potted vegetable plant. Container Gardening for Kids Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
fruit and vegetable art Fruit and Vegetable Art Preschool, K-2, 3-5
seed catalog fun Seed Catalog Fun Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
seed viewer Seed Viewer Preschool, K-2
Exploring Herbs Exploring Herbs Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
A very simple painting of a flower, butterfly, and worm, in brown soil-paint. Soil Art Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
wildlife inventory Wildlife Inventory Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
plant fall bulbs for spring blooms Bulbs: Fall Planting for Spring Blooms Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
photo fun Photo Fun Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
read in the garden Read in the Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
butterfly puddle Create a Butterfly Puddle Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Floral design Floral Design for Kids Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
sensory garden Designing a Sensory Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
plant a snack garden Plant a Snack Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
rainbow bouquet Make a Rainbow Bouquet Preschool, K-2, 3-5
forcing winter blooms Forcing Winter Blooms Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
simple straw aeration hydroponic Simple Straw Aeration Hydroponic System K-2, 3-5
leaf and flower prints Leaf and Flower Prints Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
mudpie Make a Mud Pie Preschool, K-2
close up of dill seeds drying on plant for seed saving activity for kids Save Your Seeds Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Bee flying up to purple flowers Pollinator Celebration Meal Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
seed ball garden activity Seed Balls Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
garden art box Make a Garden Art Box Preschool, K-2, 3-5
Two young girls at a farmers market looking at a lettuce stand Plan a Trip to a Farmers’ Market Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Example of ferns that can be used as plants in a dinosaur garden Dinosaur Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5
underside of a fern frond with orange clusters of spores Growing Baby Ferns Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
three plant people made from pantyhose with grass growing for hair and googly eyes Plant People Preschool, K-2, 3-5
Young girl outside in winter holding branches of winterberry to make a wreath Make a Winterberry Wreath Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
girl yellow dress sitting in tree Plant a Family Tree Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
two butterflies cut out of homemade paper on a blue background Homemade Botanical Paper Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Pile of 4 picked red apples Celebrating Apples Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
watering the ground and plants with a watering can Catching Water K-2, 3-5
worms in a gray worm composting bin Make a Worm Composting Bin Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
kid with blue hat outside bent over looking at the ground through magnifying glass Scavenger Hunt in the Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5
stone herb spiral with herbs growing Herb Spiral Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
boy and girl in a classroom examining a yellow flower with a magnifying glass Garden by Age Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8
Young girl in winter hat collecting items from nature from a snow-covered evergreen tree Art in the Winter Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Holiday bird decoration craft made from pinecone and red berries to look like a Christmas tree Wild Bird Holiday Decorations Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
scrap paper pots that are filled with soil and starting to sprout seeds Reducing, Re-using and Recycling in the Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
single bulb that is starting to sprout Forcing Spring-Blooming Bulbs Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Fresh picked garden vegetables on a table Plant Parts Salad Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
assortment of pressed flowers and leaves on white paper Pressed Flowers and Leaves Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
purple flower with drops of dew Start Early and End Late to Beat the Heat Preschool, K-2, 3-5
sunflower head Plant a Sunflower House Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Container of fresh picked loose lettuce leaves and salad greens from the garden Grow Your Own Salad Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Close up of a moonflower for a garden theme of plants that bloom at night Theme Gardens Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
close up of plants growing in a terrarium Building a Terrarium Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
small wooden frog and crocodile figurines sitting in a pirate's garden A Pirate’s Garden Preschool, K-2, 3-5
pathway into a corn maze Building a Maze Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
An avocado pit with a sprout growing out the top. It is suspended above a glass of water using toothpicks. Kitchen Scrap Gardening Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Child holding a container with small plants and fairy figures Build a Fairy House Preschool, K-2, 3-5
box of bright colored garden vegetables including pepper, eggplant, radishes, and lettuce Throw a Garden Birthday Party Preschool, K-2, 3-5
Close up of pink flowers in a garden in bloom Planting a Flower Clock Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

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