Looking for some fun garden and nature crafts for kids? Here are lots of fun craft ideas for kids to make in and for the garden, as well as some nature arts and crafts.
And along with planting flowers and vegetables and reading gardening books, we like to turn our creative energy toward the garden and our outdoor living spaces.
We make garden wish flags, bean pole teepees, stepping stones, weatherproof garlands, and other garden crafts and decorations.
Today, we are sharing some of our favorite garden crafts for kids and families, some of which have come from Jean’s book The Artful Year, and some that come from the blog!
Getting preschoolers interested in gardening and nature is a great way to teach them about plants, wildlife, and taking care of the environment Plus, it’s an opportunity for fun outdoor play and hands-on learning. With spring right around the corner, now is the perfect time to try out some garden crafts with your little ones!
In this article, we’ll share 18 creative garden craft ideas that are perfect for preschool-aged kids These projects use common craft supplies like paper, paint, and recycled materials to make DIY planters, decorations, and more to liven up your garden space.
Why Garden Crafts are Great for Preschoolers
Gardening with preschoolers provides many developmental benefits. Crafting garden decorations and planters allows kids to practice:
- Fine motor skills through cutting, coloring, gluing, and assembling projects
- Creativity by designing their own unique garden decor
- Early math concepts like sorting, counting, and patterns
- Early science concepts like plant life cycles, weather, seasons, and more
- Responsibility by caring for plants they have grown from seeds or starts
- Environmental awareness through recycling and reusing materials
The hands-on, interactive nature of garden crafts makes them more engaging and memorable than just reading a book or listening to a lesson. Getting preschoolers creating things for the garden invests them in the whole experience.
18 Fun Garden Craft Ideas for Preschoolers
Here are 18 of our favorite garden crafts for preschool-aged kids:
1. Painted Flower Pots
Let kids unleash their creativity by turning plain terra cotta pots into works of art! Use acrylic craft paints and let them paint patterns, pictures, or designs on the outside of clean pots. These make great Mother’s Day gifts too!
2. Paper Plate Flowers
Paper plates, tissue paper, and craft sticks make quick and colorful flowers for garden decor. Glue or tape them onto bamboo skewers to make pretty garden flags.
3. Clothespin Butterflies
Paint colorful butterfly wings onto round-headed craft clothespins Glue on wiggle eyes and pipe cleaner antennae Clip them onto plants in the garden for whimsical accents.
4. Egg Carton Garden Markers
Let kids decorate egg carton sections with crayons, then label their plants by gluing a popsicle stick in the bottom and writing the plant name with marker.
5. Handprint Garden Stones
Make keepsake stepping stones or garden accents using air-dry clay and preschoolers’ handprints. Write their name and year on the back before letting dry.
6. Nature Collage Pictures
Collect leaves, petals, sticks, and other natural materials on a walk, then glue them onto paper plates or sturdy paper to make garden-themed collages. Add crayon details like stems and dirt.
7. Recycled Wind Chimes
Upcycle cleaned tin cans, plastic bottles, or containers into wind chimes. Decorate them with permanent markers, then add string and beads for hanging.
8. Paper Plate Sunflowers
Glue yellow tissue paper “petals” around a paper plate, then add a brown circle face and green pipe cleaner stem. Hang them along a garden fence.
9. Popsicle Stick Scarecrow
Glue popsicle sticks together into a scarecrow shape. Let kids decorate with markers, then add string for hair and old clothing for character.
10. Painted Rock Critters
Collect smooth rocks and let kids paint animals, insects, or faces on them. Place them around the garden for whimsical accents kids will love finding.
11. Paper Roll Butterflies
Cut toilet paper or paper towel tubes in half. Help preschoolers paint designs on the tubes before assembling them into colorful 3D butterflies.
12. Bean Mosaics
Use different colored dry beans to glue simple mosaic shapes or pictures onto sturdy cardboard. Seal with mod podge and use as garden markers.
13. Handprint Garden Flags
Let each child trace their handprint onto fabric or paper using fabric markers or paint. Attach crayon-drawn stems to make garden flags for flower shapes.
14. Popsicle Stick Bird Feeder
Glue together popsicle sticks into a simple bird feeder shape. Decorate with markers, add string for hanging, and fill with birdseed.
15. Clothespin Flower Pots
Glue a round clothespin tip to the top of a bigger clothespin to make a tiny flower pot shape. Let kids paint designs on their mini planters.
16. Paper Plate Ladybugs
Cut paper plates in half. Glue the rounded halves to a full paper plate, paint red with spots, then add pipe cleaner antennae.
17. Nature Sun Catchers
Collect leaves, petals, and other nature items. Arrange on contact paper and laminate into pretty stained-glass style sun catchers.
18. Tin Can Bird Feeders
Recycle metal cans by cleaning, punching holes, and adding string. Let kids coat the outside with peanut butter or suet then roll in birdseed.
Get Creative in the Garden!
Doing crafts with a nature theme gets preschoolers excited about playing and learning outdoors. Let their imagination bloom by trying these 18 kid-friendly garden craft ideas this spring.
Gardening with young kids may take more time and make a bit more mess, but those are small prices to pay for precious memories made together. As you guide your preschoolers in creating unique garden decorations and planters, they’ll develop new skills plus a love of nature that can last a lifetime.
Garden Crafts for Kids
We decorate these fabric flags with fabric markers or crayons and they carry our wishes and hopes for our garden and for the gardening season.
These DIY bubble wands made with pipe cleaners and beads are a fun kids’ craft project. Plus the finished bubble wands are beautiful and work great with our homemade bubble solution!
We love growing pole beans up a bamboo frame and make one almost every year! The structure provides a fun fort before the beans start growing, too.
The best way to attract birds to your garden is to provide houses for them! And it is so fun painting and decorating them – I love how the liquid watercolors soak into the wood like a vibrant wood stain.
Melted bead suncatchers are easy to make from kids plastic pony beads. They are durable and a perfect addition to your garden. And check out my page all about suncatchers for even more ideas!
These fun and easy paper pinwheels are a great addition to your garden, or perfect for a pop-up parade through the neighborhood! (From Childhood 101)
Gather some rocks on a walk and head home to make these fun painted rock houses! Use them to create a little village in your garden or leave them in your neighbors’ garden as a sweet surprise!
Flower pounding is such a fun process art activity for kids! Watch as the pigments from the flower transfer onto canvas to create these beautiful flower flags.
This is one of our favorite garden decorations! Use beads, pipe cleaners, and dowels to make gorgeous garden ornaments that you will love looking at all spring and summer long!
Nature Crafts for Kids
If you need a break from the summer sun, here are some fun nature arts and crafts, so you can bring the garden inside!
This post actually contains two nature inspired art projects that explore ways for kids to observe and create with nature. Try your hand at observational drawing of flowers and clay leaf printing.
Melted crayon rocks are made by “painting” on hot rocks with crayons, which melt as they touch the heated rock. This has been a favorite activity for a long time, and we’ve even tried it on shells, Easter eggs, and salt dough ornaments.
Go for a nature walk and gather natural materials to use for this beautiful nature mobile. Painted air dry clay beads add the finishing touch!
This flower suncatcher craft for kids uses nature’s palette (flowers and leaves) and sticky contact paper in the perfect circle frame. An easy summer craft and so beautiful!
Use a cardboard box, contact paper and items you find in nature to make a lovely creation with endless possibilities – it can be a 3D nature suncatcher, a flower petal art box, or a flower house for fairies and fireflies.
These DIY flower crowns for kids are both lovely and simple to make. Using fresh flowers for a beautiful stained-glass effect, this is a great nature craft to celebrate spring or summer!
Nature tables are the perfect solution to all of the treasures your kids might find on a nature walk! Arrange in baskets at a kids table with magnifying glass and nature guides for further exploration. (From Meri Cherry)
We hope you try out these fun garden and nature activities with your family!
Garden Crafts For Kids – Family Plot
What are some fun garden crafts for kids?
Make a few fun garden crafts for kids to get ready for the season of renewal. You’ll find loads of crafty projects, like planters and markers, perfect for the garden. But when it’s rainy and cold out, you can bring the bright colors of the garden inside with paper garden crafts like a carrot patch or a flower garden. Ready to get started?
What are the best plant crafts for kids?
Plant crafts for kids include seed planting and rock garden markers, perfect for learning and growing together. Let your little ones’ imaginations blossom with these engaging projects that bring the beauty of the garden into your home!
What are some fun activities for kids that are garden themed?
Until them I have brought together a fun list of colorful and creative activities for kids that are garden themed. Activities that range from seed planting to flower painting and more. Make things for the garden, make things with the garden and make a garden! There are tons of fun ideas here to keep you and your little one occupied this spring
Are garden Kid crafts a good idea?
Garden kid crafts are a great way to get the kid involved with the outdoors. I have always loved gardening. I can’t wait for spring. Growing both vegetable and flower is a love of mine, not weeds or not weeding though. Now is a great time for garden kid crafts. My grandparents always had a huge garden in their yard.
What can I teach my kids about gardening?
It’s a great time to teach little ones about plants, vegetables, flowers, and all things gardening! You’ll find gardening sensory play ideas, garden themed printables, as well as plenty of garden vegetable crafts and more! I have included ideas from both my own blog as well as many ideas from my fellow bloggers.
What are some fun activities for preschoolers?
Fun peas craft. 4. Garden Sensory Bin A bin to garden in for your youngest. Preschoolers will have fun with this play gardening activity. 5. Garden Dragonfly Craft for Kids Create some brightly colored bugs using spoons. Your preschoolers can fly the dragonflies after they are finished creating wither garden craft. 6.