8 simple summer garden activities for kids

Recycled materials eye guard

1. Decorate a plastic drinks bottle using materials and fabrics that won’t go soggy in the rain, you could make animals, insects or a brightly coloured pattern
2. Don’t forget as you decorate, that the bottle will fit on the cane upside down
3. Place the bottle on the cane and stand back to admire your handiwork

Clay eye guard

1. Design your eye guard around simple shapes such as a sphere or cone
2. Make sure that you make a hole in the clay for the cane before air drying the clay and varnishing 
3. You could use a pencil or cocktail stick to draw a pattern in to the clay

• To make the wings, bend a large pipe cleaner or piece of wire in to a loop and twist the ends together. Cover the wings with a piece of bubble wrap, fabric or other waterproof material, and use sticky tape or glue to fix it on to the wing shape
  
  NB: You will need to make four wings; think about patterns and colours if you decorate them

• Take the clean drinks bottle and, using pipe cleaners or wire, attach the wings around the bottle
• Fix two further pieces of wire or pipe cleaners to the top of the bottle to be the antennae and stick the red piece of plastic in the bottle opening to represent the proboscis (the long 'nose' on the front of an insect)
• Attach your butterfly by string or wire to the cane and choose somewhere to place it in your vegetable plot

• Clean and dry the clear plastic drinks bottles

• Fill each of the bottles with 5cm of either sand or small gravel. This is to stop the skittles blowing over if it is windy

• Now the fun part - decide how to decorate your skittles. You could decorate them as people, flowers, bugs or animals

• If you are painting the bottles, mix a little PVA glue in with the paint to help it stick. When the paint is dry, add a layer of glue over the top to make it waterproof​
• When your skittles are decorated, set them up in a triangle shape in rows – one skittle, two skittles, three and four skittles in each row
• Play the game with your family – who can knock down the most skittles and be the champion?

• On your cardstock, roughly draw out your rainbow shape, leaving a good amount of room to add your pieces of nature
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• Head outside and look around at all the different colours

• Collect an assortment of different items, such as fallen leaves and petals, feathers, twigs etc
• Arranged your items on your image, when you are happy with your placement, stick them down
• Stand back and admire your work

• Seek out a big glass bottle with a lid​
• Select plants to match the size of your terrarium
• For drainage, spread a layer of coarse grit, pebbles or clay granules (hydroleca) over the base. Add a layer of peat-free multipurpose compost mixed with 20% grit or perlite
• Pop the plants in, firming gently but don’t squeeze too many in

• Add decorative pinecones, bark, rocks, fossils or shells and finish off with moss or fine gravel mulch
• Water the plants until the drainage layer is wet
• Clean the inside with a damp cloth and remove condensation
• Replace the lid or stopper

• Use a pencil to draw a design on the pebble
• Colour in the design using acrylic paints or permanent pens.
• Leave to dry

• When the paint or ink is dry, take a clean brush and carefully cover the pebbles in PVA glue or clear nail varnish to make them waterproof
• Leave to dry
• Display your pebbles at home or give them away as beautiful gifts

• Fill your container with compost, soil or sand and gently pat down
• Pop in your plants! Small plug plants or cuttings with roots are  perfect and will instantly create a bit of colour. Herbs such as  parsley, coriander or rosemary also make great mini trees or shrubs
• Sow grass seed or cat grass seed directly into the compost to  create patches of lawn. Sieve a small layer over the top of the  seeds, water well and it should start to grow in a few days

• Add in any structures e.g. gravel paths, pebble stepping stones, lollypop stick houses, twig fences, bridges or dens. Bottles and jar lids also make great mini ponds or lakes
• Add your finishing touches such as clay figures, toys or signs to bring  your theme to life. Remember to keep your mini plants watered and  keep outside in a warm place or on a bright windowsill

Den 1: using sticks and leaves

• Lean large sticks against a tree trunk in a wigwam shape – a trunk with twigs sticking out makes it easier to lean the sticks against.  Build up the den using layers of sticks until it is nice and strong
• Cover your den in dry leaves, moss and anything else that is lying on the ground. Be as creative as you can

Den 2: using rope and a sheet/blanket

• Tie the rope between two trees, keeping it nice and tight – maybe a  grown-up can help you. Don’t tie it too high up or your blanket might not  reach the ground
• Throw your blanket or sheet over the rope and use the pegs or big stones  to hold the bottom in place in a triangular tunnel shape. Now go enjoy your den