From the 28th of March to the 5th of June, we are celebrating National Children’s Gardening Week! A week dedicated to growing children’s passion for nature. Sowing the seeds of enthusiasm and watching their skills flourish.
To help you teach children at home or at school about gardening, we have put together some of our activity ideas you can do between May and June, including some from Recycle Devon’s very own ‘Compost Curriculum‘.
Upcycling in the Garden
It’s becoming so important to make the most out of the things we buy, to make sure we aren’t wasting our resources or money.
That’s why we have put together some tips on how to reuse materials, such as plastics and cardboard, in your garden to both reduce your waste and save you money!
- Turn your old milk bottle into a watering can
- Turn your old garden rubble and waste into a brand-new bug hotel
- Make a hanging garden out of plastic bottles
- Use old yogurt containers to start seedlings such as cress or even plant seeds from your own fruit and veg
- Turn your old jars, bottles or food and drink cans into plant pots
- Use old toilet roll holders as bird feeders just by using peanut butter, seeds and string
- Reuse cardboard as an insulator or a valuable ‘brown’ for your compost
- Upcycle old milk bottles into a herb garden
Or why not be even more ambitious by making a plastic bottle greenhouse!
Take a look at this video to see what one school in London did with all of their plastic bottle waste.
Composting
Composting can be a fantastic learning resource which can support many curriculum areas, from minibeasts to global warming, and provide hands-on learning for all ages.
If you are looking to start composting, or for activities you can do with your compost bin then look no further.
Find out how you can set up composting here.
Curriculum activities to do in May and June:
Rotter spotters and Compost organism identification
Compost documentary photography
Compost survey and Compost sorting game
Free workshops can you book from March to October:
- Compost Bin Habitat Workshop (Years 4, 5, and 6)
- Minibeasts in the Compost Bin Workshops (Foundation, Key Stage 1)
- Compost and Growing Plants Workshops (Year 2, Year 3)
If you are a school in Devon, you can get access to a free printed version of ‘The Compost Curriculum’ just get in contact with us.
More ideas for National Children’s Gardening Week
To find out more about National Children’s Gardening Week and other activities you can do, visit the National Children’s Gardening Week website for competitions, resources, and activities for schools.
