Best of all, with many of these projects, kids can literally eat the fruits of their labor. For many kids, this part alone will be a revelation. It’s hard to imagine where food comes from unless you’ve been in the trenches digging holes; planting seeds, bulbs, sprouts, or seedlings; then watching these living things grow into full-fledged plants that kids can pick and eat. These projects have been kid tested and have passed the criteria for fun. Most important, kids have declared them all “not boring.”
Organic Celery
Be aware that it’s best to start with organic celery. According to the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen 2019 list of foods with the most pesticide residue, celery ranks in the top 12. Conventionally grown celery works just as well, but it may not be as clean. Look for a bunch of celery that’s firm with tightly packed stalks. The leaves should be green and fresh looking. This project requires a little patience since it takes a while for the garlic to grow. Fortunately, it is worth the wait. Rest assured that once the shoots emerge, they grow quickly. To sprout a sweet potato, you submerge half of it in water. This will grow into a cool plant. A huge bonus is that you can eat the young leaves and stems, both of which are really tasty. What’s more, you can gather the sprouts, also known as slips, and plant them outside in your garden or in a container. They need lots of sun and take 100 to 140 days to produce sweet potatoes, but it’s not difficult. The kids can paint or draw faces on the eggshells and even give them names. You could also decorate the shells with stripes, polka dots, or other motifs. You then fill the eggshell about three-quarters full with potting soil. Plant oat or wheatgrass seeds, covering them with more potting soil. You have to keep the soil moist and the easiest way to do this is to spray water on them with a spray bottle. The seeds sprout pretty quickly. You could also make egg gardens by planting tiny plants such as pretty violas or small ferns in the eggshells. The second way to do it is to take a tiny plant out of its little pot and plant it in the lid of the jar. You’ll need a little moss to make this look finished. And the upkeep for these plants is very easy to follow. It’s also fun to grow grass or other seeds in juice boxes because they grow so quickly. When your plants are ready for transplanting, you just cut the juice box open. You can even make your juice box into a self-watering planter by threading string through the drainage holes that you’ve cut into the bottom. The strings should hang into a dish of water. Keep in mind that the more soil your toy holds, the more options you’ll have regarding what to plant. Succulents, for instance, are great for small toys. Also, it’s probably best to avoid growing edibles in plastic toys. The material is not food grade and can potentially leach lead into the soil and the plant.
