Nine Ex-Seedingly Fun Projects You Can Do with Your Kids

Spring is pure magic when you’re a kid. After the cold, dark days of winter, the world bursts back to life — bright green sprouts pushing through the soil and birds singing like they’re throwing a party. Plus, with all those April showers turning the yard into a squishy, muddy playground, the kids are going to get dirty anyway. So why not make it count? Roll up those sleeves, dig in the dirt, and turn that glorious mess into something amazing with these hands-on seed projects.

Make Seed Bombs

This easy recipe includes wildflower seeds (or any flower seeds) and shredded newspaper. Soak the newspaper in water and mix in the seeds. Grab a handful of seed paper and make a ball. You can add a popsicle stick (to look like cake pops) with the seed identification or planting instructions. You can also press the paper onto a cookie sheet about ½ thick and use small cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Let dry and pass out to friends to plant in their yards.

Plant an Egg Carton Garden

Fill a paper egg carton with nutrient-rich potting soil and add seeds. Keep the soil moist but not overwatered and place it in a sunny spot. When the seed has germinated, cut out individual egg sections and plant directly into the garden. This way, the root of the new plant will not be disturbed; the egg carton will break down in the soil.

Start a Seed Exchange

After planting your garden or flowers, you always seem to have extra seeds. Share them with friends and neighbors by setting up a seed exchange, similar to a Little Free Library. To house your seeds, place a mailbox in a location that will get a lot of traffic and add a plastic tray that fits inside. Add seed packets and let the guests pull out the ones they want, leaving them safe inside to avoid early germination.

Make a Milk Jug Garden

Another way to start a garden is with a milk jug greenhouse. Rinse out an empty gallon milk jug, saving the cap. Cut a horizontal line halfway down the jug, only going ¾ of the way around so the jug has a hinged top. Fill the bottom with nutrient-rich soil and plant your seeds. Close the top and seal the cut with tape. Leave the jug in the sun and remove the cap on warm days to let the heat escape. Water as needed or leave in the rain with the cap off.

Spread the Love with Seeds

Purchase seed packets, a garden shovel and gardening gloves at a dollar store and place them in a decorative bag. Add a cute note that says, “A sprout out to summer” (you can find them on Etsy) and leave it on neighbors’ front porches with a note to spread the love. Other options to go along with your neighbor’s gift are decorative pots, watering cans or a small garden gnome.

Plant a Window Herb Garden

Start an herb garden for your windowsill. Gather various clear jars (canning jars or recycled jars) and fill them with nutrient-rich soil. Add herb seeds like basil, oregano, chives, dill, peppermint and thyme to the jars and water as directed on the package. The glass jars will allow you to watch the seeds germinate and grow roots.

Create Seed Art Mosaics

This is a fun project to do on a sunny day. Find a coloring page online that does not have a lot of details and glue it to a piece of cardboard. Gather a large variety of dried beans and seeds and let the kids “color” in the spaces with glue and seeds. Depending on your kids’ creativity, this can also be done as a freehand design. Place inside a frame for seasonal decorations.

Make Plantable Seed Paper

For this project, you will need light-colored (white and beige) scrap paper like old envelopes, junk mail, etc. Shred the paper and add it to a blender with warm water. Blend to a smooth pulp and pour into a bowl. Add a teaspoon or so of small seeds and mix well. Strain out the water and press into a cookie sheet. Roll out until thin and let air dry for a day or so. When dry, cut the seed paper to the desired size. Add a little message letting people know to plant the paper in the ground when they are done reading it.

Make Bird Seed Cakes

You will need 1 package of unflavored gelatin, 4 cups of wild birdseed, ½ cup of boiling water, 3 TBSP of corn syrup, ½ cup of flour and a small mold of any shape. Spray the inside of the mold with non-stick cooking spray. Add gelatin, water, syrup and flour in a bowl and mix to combine. Pour in the birdseed and coat with liquid. Add the mixture to mold and place it in the refrigerator overnight. You can make space for a hole with a straw while the seed cake sets. Hang it from a tree or place in a suet tray.

– Pam Molnar