Kids belong in the garden, and it’s vital for kids to have some fun summer gardening projects. These projects keep kids entertained and also help them learn how to become future gardeners.
Gardening is a life skill that isn’t taught to kids enough nowadays. You have the opportunity to teach your kids how to garden and give them a skill that they’ll enjoy for the rest of their lives.
If you’re ready to get your kids in the garden, here are some fun projects to try.
Fun Summer Gardening Projects for Kids
There are tons of projects out there for kids to do during the summer, from quick and easy tasks to more involved undertakings. Here are 14 to try.
1. Make a Watering Station for Honeybees
Everyone knows that honeybees are crucial for our environment, but not everyone knows that honeybees need water to live. If you want to attract more bees to your garden, try making a watering station for them.
A watering station is easy to make. You need a shallow dish, and then fill it with pebbles or flat marbles. These give the bees and other insects somewhere to land. Then, fill up the dish with water and leave it for them to find in your garden.
2. Grow an Herb Garden
Herb gardens are perfect for kids because they are easy to grow and thrive in any container. You can have an herb garden in your kitchen or your backyard. If there is space for a few pots, then you’re ready to go.
Let your child pick 3-5 herbs to grow. Basil, parsley, chives, lavender, oregano, and mint are some good options.
Encourage your child to write the name of each herb on the front of the container or to make a unique plant marker.
3. Make Garden Arches Together
Cattle panel makes fantastic garden arches. That’s what I’ve used for years now. This project takes your involvement, but with your kids, you can create garden arches between garden beds.
Have your child plant some trailing vegetables on the arches, such as:
- Cucumbers
- Long Beans
- Green Beans
- Peas
Once grown, your kids will love to walk under the arches that are covered in plants. It ends up like a little hiding area for them. It also gives you a way to grow more vegetables in a small area; vertical gardening saves space.
This video shows you one way to get it done:
4. Plant Flowers to Attract Pollinators
You want to attract pollinators to your garden. It’s a great time to teach your kids how important they are in your garden.
However, you want to do more than just tell your kids that your garden needs them. Have your kids plant flowers that attract pollinators to the area you want them the most.
Here are some suggested flowers you can plant in your garden to attract pollinators.
- Milkweed
- Borage
- Coneflower
- Black-Eyed Susans
- Lavender
- Bee Balm
5. Make Popsicle Stick Garden Markers
While there are plenty of options for garden markers, popsicle sticks are great for kids to use. They’re cheap, and you can either have them write the name of each plant on the stick or make tiny fences for each plant type.
6. Paint Containers for Plants
Creating a colorful container garden is the perfect summer gardening project for kids. Your kids can pick plants that they want to grow, and encourage them to pick colorful ones that they can use as inspiration for their containers.
You can paint either plastic or terracotta pots. Let your kids have brightly colored paints, and they should have full reign to be as creative as they want.
Make sure that you pick containers that have drainage holes in the base. Then, let your kids fill the pots with a potting mix.
7. Plant with Your Kids
What can be easier than planting seeds and other plants in your garden with your kids?
Kids should be involved in gardening; that’s how they stay entertained and educated about it. My kids spend time planting with me all of the time. As soon as they’re old enough to be in the garden, I start showing them how to plant seeds or how to dig a good hole to put seedlings.
8. Paint Garden Rocks
Here is an interesting summer gardening project for kids! Try painting garden rocks that look like a crop you’re growing, such as strawberries.
It’s a creative way to outsmart your birds or other pests. They attack the rocks instead of your crop, and this eventually drives them away.
9. Make a Twig Teepee
What kid doesn’t love a teepee?
You can either have your kids create a teepee made of sticks and then you plant your seeds at the base of the sticks. Then, the trailing plants will grow up the supports, creating a practical teepee.
Another project is making an actual teepee in your garden with sticks for your kids to hang out without adults. Help your kids arrange the branches to make the walls as dense as possible. Leave an opening wide enough for the kids to crawl through.
10. Grow Microgreens
Everyone loves growing microgreens right now – they’re all the rage. Microgreens grow quickly, and you don’t need any special seeds. You can use seeds from any vegetable that has edible leaves, such as lettuce, broccoli, spinach, or basil.
Kids enjoy the opportunity to grow microgreens as well; it’ll keep them entertained. You can grow them in any container from old take-out containers or plastic cups. Fill the container with compost and scatter the seeds thinly over the surface. Water, keep moist, and check regularly.
Show your kids how to harvest microgreens and ways to add them to meals and dishes.
11. Make a Grass Bucket Seat
This is a simple project but kids enjoy trimming the grass with scissors. You can get kid-safe scissors if you’re worried.
Take a metal bucket or bin, and add drainage holes in the bottom. Fill it with compost and soil and press it down firmly. Then, sprinkle grass seeds over the soil and water well. It germinates fast, typically only taking 1-2 weeks.
12. Make Bird Feeders
Birds aren’t your enemy in the garden. In fact, inviting them to the garden is a smart idea. Try hanging bird feeders in your garden; it’s an awesome task for your child.
They can make strings of apples and popcorn, or cover pinecones with popcorn and birdseed. There are many ways to make homemade bird feeders.
13. Make a Dinosaur Garden
Is your child obsessed with dinosaurs as much as mine is? If so, making a dinosaur garden is a great summer project.
Find a large container that can hold a range of plants. Plant your greens and then get small dinosaurs to stick in the container. The dinosaurs can hide in the plants, and your child can enjoy playing and having fun.
14. Make a Garden Sundial
With this project, you mix science and gardening together. Your kids can paint rocks and label each rock with a time. You can take a look at Mom Foodie to see how she plans her garden sundial.
Kids love summer gardening projects without a doubt! Get your kids in the garden more often with these simple activities. Your kids will want to spend more time learning how to grow vegetables and other edibles for your family. They’ll love every second of it, and so will you!
