Making Seed Balls
Being able to watch the growth of seeds that you planted yourself is a great way for children to appreciate nature. First we mix ingredients, next we watch a seedling grow, then we see a flower bloom!
- Audience
- Caregiver
- Subject
- Nature & Outdoor
- Age
- InfantKindergartenPre-KPreschoolToddler
- Languages
- Brazilian PortugueseEnglishHaitian CreoleSimplified ChineseSpanishVietnamese
- Materials
- Soil, air dry clay, tray or plate, water, wildflower seeds
Try making seed balls with your child!
Activity
- Sit at a table or on a tarp with your child. Mix some air-dry clay and soil onto a tray or plate. You can use about half clay and half soil, but it doesn’t have to be exact.
- Add a tablespoon or two of seeds. Let your child mix everything with their fingers or a spoon. Slowly add a little water until it feels like dough. If it gets too sticky, add more clay and soil.
- Roll the mixture into balls. They can be small like marbles or bigger like golf balls.
- Set the seed balls in the sun to dry. Once dry, place them outside in soil, a garden, or a pot. You can just put them down or gently toss them. Watch over time to see how they grow. If it’s dry, water them too!
Try this with babies
- Explore the soil! Pre-mix the clay and soil, and let them squish the dirt, mix the seeds, and watch the seeds sprout later.
- Even if babies don’t understand how seeds grow, playing in the dirt helps them learn and get excited about plants later.
Fun facts to share
- Seed balls protect seeds and let them grow outside without a pot. Use native seeds, which are special seeds that grow plants unique to where we live. These plants help insects that live nearby, which helps the environment. Encourage your child to watch for bugs around the new plants as they grow.
Ideas for different weather
- Sunny days are great for drying seed balls. When it rains, check to see if the balls start to break down or the seeds begin to sprout. Any weather can help plants grow!
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