National Children’s Gardening Week (23rd–31st May) is the perfect excuse to swap screens for soil. Whether it’s planting seeds or making a bug hotel, we've got lots of ideas to get the whole family growing.
Pop into your local centre this half-term to enjoy a FREE activity trail, and pick up supplies for all your family-friendly garden projects. Remember to make the most of your exclusive family cards rewards too.
Build an insect hotel
Discover a world of small creatures by building a habitat for your insect friends. With just a handful of straw, bark, and bamboo, you can create a thriving home for lacewings, beetles, bugs and bees. It’s a wonderful way for children to connect with nature and give them a hands-on lesson in biodiversity. Short on time? Shop for bug homes here.
Grow your own food
Starting a family veg patch is easier than you think. Quick-growing crops like cress, lettuce, and radishes are perfect for pots and containers and will grow in just a few weeks. There’s something magical about planting a seed and watching it grow, especially for little gardeners. Picking ingredients for dinner is also a fun way to help children connect with their food. They’re often much more willing to taste something they’ve grown themselves.
Make a seed bomb
This is a really easy, hands-on project for kids. All you need is clay, compost, and wildflower seeds. Shape your seed bomb, then throw it onto bare soil and watch it sprout into a colourful havens for bees and butterflies.
Plant a sensory garden
Give them a small corner to turn into a sensory wonderland. Choose plants like fragrant lavender, fuzzy lamb’s ear, and edible mint, to create a space that smells amazing. It’s a wonderful way to show children that a garden is more than just plants - it's a living, breathing experience that engages the ears, the nose, and the taste buds.
Make your own wormery or compost heap
All you need is a simple bin, a few hungry worms and some kitchen scraps to turn into high-quality compost. It’s a fascinating, slightly squirmy way to teach kids about the circle of life and show them exactly how nature recycles itself. Who knew kitchen waste could be so interesting?
Grow the tallest sunflower
This activity can involve the whole family, no matter the size of your garden. Plant a seed, watch it shoot skyward, and see whose grows tallest by the end of August. Simple, satisfying, and almost impossible to fail, and it will give your children a sense of accomplishment too. Make to sure to keep an eye on the height and let us know to enter our Sunflower Competition. All you need to do is grow the tallest sunflower and send us a photo here
Send us your Sunflower entries here
Enjoy our Make it Bloom Mini trail
As part of its popular 'Make it Bloom' spring campaign, three familiar faces will be making an appearance this half-term at our centres. Georgie the Bee, Charlie the Bird, and Bernard the Butterfly will be starring in a FREE children's activity trail running across select locations from 23rd to 31st May 2026 (please check your local centre for details).
No need to book, just turn up and explore! Remember to take a photo with one of our insect experts and post it to social media using #MakeItBloomMini for the chance to win a gardening starter bundle.
