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Toilet rolls sitting on a bench with scissors, ready to be used for craft activities.

Recycled gardening

Blue painted background
Recycled Gardening will see your kids breathe new life into old bottles and containers and teach them about patience and responsibility for nature.

What you need

  • A sturdy, water-resistant box from the recycling, like a washing-powder carton

  • Soil

  • Cardboard

  • PVA glue

  • Seedlings, bulbs or small plants

  • Marker pen

  • Gravel

  • Paint and brushes

What to do

Get Ready:

  1. Supervise your kids as they use scissors to cut off the top of the box to make a tray and then punch holes in the bottom of the carton, creating a plant pot that will drain when watered.

  2. Kids can then decorate their pot and tray with paints and anything else they like! Once the paint is dry, the decorated plant pot can be put together.

  3. Kids should sprinkle a layer of gravel in the tray and set the pot down on top of it. Then they can fill the carton nearly to the top with soil.

Have a go:

  1. Now it’s time for kids to give their seeds, seedlings or bulbs a good start by sowing them in the soil.

  2. Encourage them to check with you or use the internet to learn about the best conditions for their particular seeds. Kids should make sure they know the right soil depth and amount of water to use.

  3. Next, it’s time to head outdoors, find a sunny spot such as a windowsill or garden and settle the plant pots in to grow. Then, it’s over to Mother Nature to work her magic!

Try it out: Kids should keep an eye on their Recycled Gardens, ensuring they are watered regularly (not drenched). Having patience and allowing time for the little seeds to sprout can be hard, but good things are worth the wait!