Kid’s green craft projects combine both science and crafts to make an attractive finished product that is an interesting display.  Unlike other craft projects that later get thrown away or gather dust, living crafts grow and change.  Here are some ideas with instructions on how you can do these kid’s green crafts with your children.

Kid’s Green Craft Container Gardens

Kids love container gardening because some of the more boring tasks of gardening such as tilling and weeding aren’t needed with containers.   There are a lot of fruits and vegetables that you can do in containers.  You are able to move the containers to sunny spots as needed.   This project focuses on strawberries, a big favorite among kids.

Materials:

• Hanging plant baskets (you can use lots of different containers for strawberries, too)
• Humus or compost
• Strawberry “plugs,” or seedlings
• Potting soil

You want to plant only one strawberry plant in each hanging basket.  You can hang these in layers on a shepherd’s staff or from your porch.  Fill each basket with potting soil.  Dig a small hole in the center of each one that’s deep enough to cover the entire “plug”.  Feed and water periodically during the growing season and work the compost in the soil.

(Variation: cucumbers also grow well in hanging baskets.  Choose a small variety of pickling cucumbers.)

Kid’s Green Craft Can Planters

This is a project that uses recycling.  Start saving up your empty cans and give this one a try.

Materials:

• Potting soil
• Seedlings or seeds (herbs grow well in pots, especially mint, basil, parsley, and chives)
• Hot glue gun
• Large nail
• Items such as paint or stickers, along with buttons and beads that can be glued on the outside of cans

Start by soaking cans in warm soapy water to remove the labels.  Punch three or four holes in the bottom of each can using a large nail.  Be sure that an adult punches the holes.  Have the kids decorate the cans and then fill with soil.  Plant seedlings or seeds in a sunny window or outdoors.

Kid’s Terrariums

This is a great craft to teach children about how an ecosystem works.  It is also an opportunity to educate the kids about recycling by planting your terrarium in a used 2-liter plastic bottle.  Here are the materials and instructions on how to do it.

Materials:

•  Empty a clear 2-liter plastic bottle
•  Small pot or container that will fit inside the bottle
•  Pea-sized gravel
•  Potting soil
•  Variety of plants or seeds
•  Scissors or sharp knife

Using a serrated bread knife, cut the bottom of the bottle off.  Add some gravel in the bottom of the container so that it can drain.  Next, add the soil and seeds or plants.  Water them well and place the top of the bottle over the container.  If you are using plants, you can let the kids add tiny houses or figurines in the dirt around the plants.  If you are using seeds, then this fun step can be added later.  Cap the bottle and place it in a sunny area.

It’s important to keep learning about plants and gardening fun.  For additional information on creative ways to teach children about the life cycle of a plant, see We Are Teachers article.