Planting party (with toddlers) in May

rosh12

Hi there!

I am thinking of having a 'get your hands dirty' birthday party in late May for my daughter and her friends and their parents and wondered what would be the ideal things to grow. I was thinking of buying some cheap pots, seeds and compost and having everyone just muck in together, deocrating pots, planting seeds etc and having something cool to take home.

What do you think would be some ideal things to plant at this time of year? I've looked on some online gardening calenders and see that there are lots of things that can be planted but I guess we should be aiming for fairly simple ideas, that don't need huge amounts of maintenance and that hopefully everyone will be able to nurture at home with a fairly decent chance of success...

Any thoughts please?

Thanks ever so much!

x

WestonDave

Sunflowers is the usual one, but you can do things like cress pictures (draw an outline on some kitchen roll with seeds - keep it moist and see the picture grow), carrot/parsnip tops if cut off and put in a saucer of water will start to sprout in a fairly interesting way but maybe not for toddlers.

radiohelen

I think you need to think "instant" with toddlers. Bless em they have the attention span of goldfish - if it isn't attractive and interesting instantly you will rapidly have a bunch of marauding little ones tearing the place apart looking for fun.
My advice - if you want to do this - do bedding plants...it's instant colour and appeal for little ones....add some veg to the pots too....decorating the plant pots is a great idea and it makes sure everyone goes home with the right pot....
You are going to do this outside aren't you!!!!!! I have a picture in my head of my kitchen after the bairn got hold of my seed trays recently......

BlimusOreilly

No advice to offer - but what a great idea!:T

Rummer

Get them to do a variety of activities. Start with painting and decorating terracotta pots and then get them to plant seeds into plastic tubs that will fit in the terracotta pots later. Maybe get them to plant up two different things maybe one a sunflower and the other a herb that they can eat when it grows later. You could also get them to make bird scarers or other garden related things if you need to fill more time.

ellawood

love the idea might give that a go !:T

rosh12

Great ideas- thanks everyone! Yes- it's definitely planned as an outdoors activity... if it rains though we'll have to be creative- and hey- why else do we have laminate flooring in the kitchen...?!

nodwah

:rotfl:Just thinking of some of the mums i know who'd die if their little angels got dirt on them:rotfl:

Anyway.. try beans - nice big seeds and grow quickly

Rotwein44

ah what a nice idea! you could do cress hair which they could trim and eat as it grows! :j