In honor of Earth Day we’re bringing you one of our favorite kid-friendly crafts: Seed bombs!
This fantastic project allows you to beautify your neighborhood while also providing additional green space for wildlife in your community. Plus, if you have a little at home, this is a great way to keep them occupied on a rainy day. Win – win!
Here’s what you’ll need to create your own homemade seed bombs:
- Newspaper
- Bowl
- Baking tray or candy molds (if you want to get fancy!)
- Water
- Potter’s Clay
- Chemical-free compost
- Wildflower Seeds (make sure there are no invasive varieties in the mix!)
- Determine where you’ll be doing the project. A low table, bench, or windowsill works best. Then, line your work surface with newspaper. Soil + little hands = A big mess!
- I recommend portioning out the water, clay, and compost before setting them out in front of your toddler. This way they can grab the ingredients and mix them up without too much fuss. Once everything’s ready, pop your toddler next to the work station with a bowl and let them mix the first three ingredients together. The texture should be shape-able, like a chunky dough, but not too moist.
- Show your toddler how to form balls from the mix, or if you’re using a candy form, how to press it into the tray.
- Once your balls or shapes are ready, set them out on a high windowsill or table to dry overnight. And that’s it! once they’re dried out they’re ready for you to use.
The next time you’re out for a stroll, pop your seed bombs into a basket, and have your tot throw them into abandoned lots or planters. Ensure they’re not chucking them into private plots or landscaped spaces. As the days go by, visit your bombs to view their progress. If you have a tech savvy kid, have them take photos of their plants in each stage. In just a couple of weeks, under the right conditions, you should see bursts of wildflowers in bloom.
When seeing this project through be sure to speak with your toddler about the importance of plants, especially in urban environments. It’s a great way to impart knowledge about science and nature while teaching them how to be stewards of creation. And, as an added bonus, describe the importance of caring for the community you live in too! That way, you won’t just have plants in bloom, you’ll also have a budding little social activist on your hands.
Voila! You’ve now trained a mini guerrilla gardener!
Shiny Happy*People 