Gardening is a great way to encourage kids to enjoy nature and spend more time outside. Keep them busy this summer, with our 10 easy gardening activities. You don't need a big budget, or special equipment, just a patch of soil and a little curiosity.
Grow a Sunflower
Enter our Sunflower Growing Competition this summer, for the chance to win a bundle of Disney and gardening goodies.
Growing sunflowers is one of the easiest activities for children, and encourages pollinators into your garden too. Plant a sunflower seed, watch it shoot skywards and see whose grows tallest by autumn.
To enter take a photo of your sunflower, alongside its final height, and upload it to our website. The deadline for entries is 31 August 2026.
Make a wormery jar
Layer soil, sand dead leaves and kitchen scraps in a clear jar. Add a handful of worms from the garden, and wrap the outside of the jar in dark paper. Peel the paper back every few days to watch the worms tunnelling through the layers, turning kitchen scraps into rich compost. Building a wormery is a fun gardening project for kids, and teaches them how worms are important for healthy soil.
Set up a mud kitchen
An old pallet, some spare pots and pans, and a bare patch of soil are all it takes. Add water and let children loose making mud pies, herb soup and flower petal potions. It gets properly messy, but it's all outdoors so you don't need to worry about cleaning up. Letting children get their fingers dirty is good for their immunity - and it's lots of fun too.
Draw a garden sound map
Sit your children down with a notepad and ask them to draw a picture showing where each sound is coming from. Whether it's birdsong on one side, a lawnmower in the distance, or rustling leaves overhead - this small exercise is a lovely way to help children connect with nature while enjoying quiet time in the garden.
Grow a pizza garden
Split a large planter or pot into slices like a pizza. Plant toppings like basil, tomatoes, peppers or oregano in each section. By the end of the holidays your herbs and vegetables will be ready to pick. A brilliant way to encourage healthy eating and show kids where their food comes from. Shop outdoor pizza ovens here.
Go on a garden bug hunt
A magnifying glass and a simple checklist of common minibeasts is enough to keep children happy. Let them hunt under logs, leaves and paving slabs for woodlice, spiders, beetles and worms. It costs nothing and they will enjoy finding new friends - just make sure they don't bring them into the house! Treat them to one of our bug boxes here.
Brew petal perfume
Crush fallen or freshly picked petals with a little water in a bowl. Leave the mixture in the sun for a few hours to infuse, then strain the liquid into a small jar for a homemade "perfume". Or let children create their own magical potions using treasures they find around the garden.
Create a DIY butterfly feeder
This is such an easy activity to do in summer. Make holes around the rim of a plant saucer, thread string through and tie the strands to a metal ring to create a hanger. Once it's finished, cut up a piece of overripe fruit - bananas work well - place it on the saucer and wait for the butterflies to arrive.
Make your own seed paper
Tear paper into small pieces and soak it in hot water for 10-15 minutes, then blend into a pulp and stir in a handful of wildflower seeds. Spread the mixture over a kitchen splatter guard or any flat surface. Press a second guard on top to squeeze out the excess water, then leave it to dry. Cut into fun shapes such as hearts, circles or stars and plant straight into a border or pot to grow.
Paint a terracotta pot
Give a plain terracotta pot a colourful makeover using outdoor or acrylic paints. Children can decorate it with stripes, flowers, insects or their favourite animals before planting it up with a sunflower, herbs or colourful bedding plants.
The Gardener’s Grove Mini
Treat them to their own set of gardening tools with our brand-new, exclusive range designed especially for young gardeners. From digging and planting to watering and weeding, these colourful tools are just right for budding gardeners eager to lend a hand. Pop to your local British Garden Centre to shop our full range of kids tools, toys and crafts.
