9 Kid-Friendly Garden Projects To Beat Summer Boredom

By Alissa Cassidy

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It doesn’t take long for the kids to be out of school before they start whining that they’re bored. When the chores are done, the books are read, and the usual activities aren’t enough to keep them busy, try some of these garden projects. 

Not only will they keep them busy, but they’re fun and will probably teach them something along the way too. I have 3 boys, ages 6, 9, and 11, and these are all activities I either have done or plan to do with them this summer. 

1. Scavenger Hunt

This is an activity I remember doing way back in the pandemic. My kids were littler then, but even as an adult, I enjoy a good scavenger hunt. Keep things fresh with themed hunts. Bring an egg carton or little basket for the items you collect, and who knows? Maybe you can use them for more activities later. 

Some fun themes I like to use are

Rainbow Hunt: Find and/or take pictures of something from each color of the rainbow.

ABCs: Find something that begins with each letter of the alphabet, from ants to zinnias.

Bugs: Print or draw pictures of common bugs, like ants, lady bugs, grasshoppers, and roly polies (AKA pill bugs, which interestingly enough, are actually crustaceans and more closely related to lobsters than beetles!).

Birds: Like the bugs, this one can be done at home, in the garden, on a walk, or at the park. Come up with a dozen or so backyard birds and check them off the list as you find them. Pro tip: get some kid-friendly binoculars to more easily spot birds in the trees.

2. Flower Suncatcher

Materials: Fresh flowers, parchment paper, heavy books, self-laminating paper or contact paper, hole puncher and string/ribbon (optional)

Have your kids pick a variety of small, colorful flowers or just pluck a few petals off some. The amount of material you need depends on how many, how big, and how full you want your suncatchers to be.

The first step is pressing the flowers, and this may take a few days. You’ll need some heavy books and parchment paper. Lay the flowers on the parchment paper (to absorb moisture) and then either place them between pages of the book or between two books (depending on how heavy the books are). Check on the flowers and change out the paper daily until they are flat and dry.

Once the flowers are ready, prepare your contact or self-laminating paper. Cut the shape you want (circle, square, heart, flower) and place the flowers on the sticky side (bottom). Then, cover with the other piece (the top). If you want to hang them, punch a hole in the top and tie a string or ribbon through. Otherwise, put them directly on the window with some tape.

Note: These will fade over time, so don’t expect the bright colors to last forever.

3. Windchime

For this project, all you need is some sticks and twine. Optionally, you can paint the sticks or add stones, feathers, bells, sea glass, shells, or any other materials you like. 

To start, if your sticks are bendable, you can tie them together to make a circle. Otherwise, tie them in an X shape. This is your base where you will attach the twine to hang your windchime. From there, paint your sticks, add glitter, or decorate them however you like. Attach them to the base with the twine so they hang at different levels, but close enough so they’ll bump into each other when the wind blows. 

For more interest and sound, either glue shells, bells, or glass to the sticks, or use some twine or fishing line to wrap and tie them up along with the sticks.  

4. Leaf Art

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First, collect different sizes and types of leaves. Once you have your leaves, place them with the bumpy, veiny side up and lay your piece of paper over them. Unwrap a crayon or use some chalk and rub it (longways) over the leaf. You should see the image of the leaf come through. Using different colored paper and crayons, and layering leaves, this project will “leave” you satisfied!

5. Make a Bird Bath

All you need to make a bird bath is a shallow dish. It could be an old sheet pan, a plant pot tray, or a bowl. If it’s deeper than a couple inches, add sand, rocks, or stones to the bottom. It needs to be shallow enough for the birds to stand in (they don’t want to go swimming!). Even if it is shallow, it doesn’t hurt to add a couple flat rocks or twigs. This way, the birds don’t have to get their feet wet if they don’t want to! It will also attract other creatures, like bees, toads, and squirrels.

It’s best to keep your bird bath in the shade and as close to ground-level as possible. Of course, if you want to watch the birds, try placing it near your window, but the birds will appreciate it if it is near trees. And if you have cats, be sure the bird bath is in a location where the birds can see predators coming.

6. Build a Toad House

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A “toad abode” is a fun and practical project for you to do with the kids this summer. Toads are excellent for gardens–they eat everything from slugs to mosquitoes. And they don’t have very high standards. All they need to thrive is a little shelter in the shade and access to water. Their shelter could be a flower pot on its side, secured in place with some dirt, a “cave” made out of rocks and stones, or an elaborate twig cabin. 

What they definitely don’t need, though, is fertilizers, pesticides, or even sunscreens. Since they absorb water through their skin, they’ll also absorb those toxins, so keep those far away from your toad house.

7. Plant Pollinator-Friendly Flowers

Pollinators are on the decline, but the more flowers we plant, the more we can contribute to their population. Some excellent plants native to Ohio that bees and butterflies love are

• Milkweed

• Black-eyed Susans

• Cardinal flowers

• Cosmos

• Zinnias

Once you start seeing bees buzzing and butterflies fluttering, count and categorize the pollinators that come to visit.

8. Rock Painting

Decorate your garden with some cute painted rocks. Use smooth stones for a nicer finish, and seal for a longer-lasting result. Acrylic paint (or paint markers) work best. 

Get creative with your designs–maybe write positive words on them, paint them like ladybugs or flowers, or paint them in solid colors and then lay them in a rainbow pattern.

Bonus: If you’re growing strawberries, painting rocks to look like strawberries and placing them near the plants will deter the birds from eating the real thing. Place the strawberry rocks out before the fruit develops. The birds will soon realize the “fruit” is no good, so when the actual strawberries come, the birds will have already given up. 

9. Fairy Garden

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Kids love kid-sized things, and a fairy garden is about as kid-sized as you can get. If your children like watching Ben & Holly, then they’ll know exactly what they need to complete this fairy garden! 

You’ll need either a shallow container or a spot in your garden–sectioned off with small stones–dedicated to your fairy garden. Tiny plants like succulents, herbs, and some ground covers will work best with the miniature accessories you’ll use. 

You can add in whatever you think your fairies and gnomes might like: toadstools, a little cottage, a table and chairs…the possibilities are endless. 

10. Leaf Characters

Using leaves, twigs, pieces of flowers, seeds, stones, or any other small items, you and your kids can make leaf people or animals. A leaf could be a girl’s dress, a twig could be the arms, and the seeds can be eyes. Use glue to adhere the leaves to paper and markers to color in the rest of the picture.

You only have about 18 summers with your kids, and those months fly by–make them count. Kids won’t always remember exactly what you did with them, but experiences like these will teach them, mold them, and grow them in ways a screen never will. Getting your hands in the dirt is always a good idea! 

Alissa is a writer who lives in the Atlanta area. She's married with three sons, is a grad student, and is an amateur photographer. When she's not writing or studying, she enjoys working out, listening to music, and watching true crime stories.