Make Research A Family Project

Here are some ideas that your family may enjoy (for more information, click on the links):

• Butterfly Feeder

• Egg Carton Greenhouse

• Tomatoes In A Two-Liter Bottle

• Herb Terrarium

• Garden Markers

• Sponge Grass House

• Earthworm Hotel

• Cheerios Bird Feeder

Don’t forget to pick out some favorite family flowers and vegetables.

• Gardening Basics

Search The House For Containers

• Before you go off to your nearest big box store or nursery, check around the house to see if you what supplies you already have at home

• Unused sandboxes can be repurposed into small gardens

• Old jars or containers that can serve as one-of-a-kind pots.

Other Things To Consider

• Correct drainage is a necessity

• Either make holes in the bottom or place stones in the bottom of the container (or both) to secure proper drainage

• Buy either ready-made soil or use soil with a bit of fertilizer

• Give your kids real tools. Forget the cheap plastic ones.

Family Time

• Once you decide on the above, head out to your favorite store, buy some seeds and any other supplies

• Plant the seeds together and watch your bounty grow

• Make sure you show off your kids efforts when friends and family come around.

Other Resources For Kids

For more information, click on the links:

• My First Garden (University of Illinois)

• The Great Plant Escape (University of Illinois)

• The Adventures Of Herman the Worm (University of Illinois)