Spring is a great time to be a kid. You can finally get outside after a long winter to enjoy the signs of new life and all the mud left by the April showers. If the kids are going to get dirty anyway, why not work on some messy projects with seeds?
Make Seed Bombs. This easy recipe includes wildflower seeds (or any flower seeds) and shredded newspaper. Soak the newspaper in water and mix in the seeds. Grab a handful of the seed paper and form it into a ball. You can add a popsicle stick (to make it look like a cake pop) with the seed identification or planting instructions. You can also press the paper onto a cookie sheet about ½ inch thick and use small cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Let it dry, then pass them out to friends to plant in their yards.
Start a Seed Exchange. After planting your garden or flowers, you always seem to have extra seeds. Share them with friends and neighbors by setting up a seed exchange, similar to a Little Free Library. To house your seeds, place a mailbox in a location that will get a lot of traffic and add a plastic tray that fits inside. Add seed packets and let the guests pull out the ones they want, keeping them safe inside to avoid early germination.
Plant an Egg Carton Garden. Fill a paper egg carton with nutrient-rich potting soil and add seeds. Keep the soil moist—not overwatered—and place it in a sunny spot. When the seed has germinated, cut out individual egg sections and plant directly into the garden. The root of the new plant will not be disturbed and the egg carton will break down in the soil.
Make Bird Seed Cakes. You will need one package of unflavored gelatin, four cups of wild birdseed, ½ cup of boiling water, three tablespoons of Karo syrup, ½ cup of flour, and a small mold of any shape. Spray the inside of the mold with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine the gelatin, water, syrup, and flour. Pour in the birdseed and coat it with the liquid. Add the mixture to the mold and place it in the refrigerator overnight. You can create a hole using a straw while the seed cake sets. Hang from a tree or place in a suet tray.
Plant a Window Herb Garden. Start an herb garden on your windowsill. Gather various glass jars (canning jars or recycled jars) and fill them with nutrient-rich soil. Add herb seeds like basil, oregano, chives, dill, peppermint, and thyme to the jars and water as directed on the package. The glass jars will allow you to watch the seeds germinate and grow roots.
Create Seed Art Mosaics. This is a fun project to do on a sunny day. Find a coloring page online that does not have a lot of details and glue it to a piece of cardboard. Gather a large variety of dried beans and seeds and let the kids “color” in the spaces with glue and seeds. Depending on your kids’ creativity, this can also be done freehand. Place inside a frame for a seasonal decoration.
Make a Milk Jug Garden. Another way to start a garden is with a milk jug greenhouse. Rinse out an empty gallon milk jug, keeping the cap. Cut a horizontal line about halfway down the jug, going only ¾ of the way around so the jug has a hinged top. Fill the bottom with nutrient-rich soil and plant your seeds. Close the top and seal the cut with tape. Leave the jug in the sun, removing the cap on warm days to let the heat escape. Water as needed, or leave it in the rain with the cap off.
Spread the Love with Seeds. Purchase seed packets, a garden shovel, and gardening gloves at Dollar Tree and place them in a decorative bag. Add a cute note that says “A sprout out to summer” (You can find them on Etsy.) and leave it on the neighbors’ front porch with a note to spread the love. Other options to go along with your neighbor’s gift are decorative pots, watering cans, or a small garden gnome.
Make Plantable Seed Paper. For this project, you will need light-colored (white or beige) scrap papers, such as old envelopes or junk mail. Shred the paper and add it to a blender with warm water. Blend until smooth, then pour into a bowl. Add a teaspoon or so of small seeds and mix well. Strain out the water and press the pulp into a cookie sheet. Roll it out until thin and let it air dry for a day or so. When dry, cut it to the desired size and add a little message letting people know to plant the paper in the ground after reading it.
