There are so many projects that we can do with our kids that show them about how the world works. Planting seeds is a fun project to do in the spring and can also be a fantastic Earth Day craft in April. April is a great time to plant seeds since the weather is finally (hopefully) warm. With this craft for kids you will be able to plant seeds indoors so they germinate in the warmth of your house.
Earth Day Crafts for Kids | Egg Carton Planters Materials List
- Egg Carton (Fiber will work the best)
- Dirt for planting
- Seeds
- Pipe Cleaners (oops, Chenille Stems), coffee stirrers, or small sticks
- An old box, Index Cards, card stock, or even paper
- Marker or crayons
- Tape
- Knife (for adult use)
How to Make Egg Carton Planters for Earth Day – Or Any Day
The hardest part of this craft may be remembering to save an egg carton! Once you have an egg carton made of fiber remove the lid and the latch sections. Remove any debris (as needed).
Fill the 12 egg holes with dirt. This can be potting soil. Make sure the “bubbles” are filled almost completely with dirt. Kids love doing this!
Once the “bubbles” are filled with dirt make a finger hole in the middle and drop several seeds (depending on size) into the hole. Cover the hole with the dirt that was pushed to the side.
Add water. We used a tablespoon. You could also use a spray bottle. A spray bottle would have ruined our homemade signs, so a tablespoon was a better choice for us.
If you are planting assorted seeds make signs to put in the egg carton container. You can use recycled cardboard. We didn’t have any since recycling was the day before so we used an index card. Crayons will be the best medium to use on this project as markers will run if the ink gets wet. Attach the sign to a stick, pipe cleaner, or coffee stirrer with tape.
Using the knife, cut a slit in the egg carton where you want the sign to go. Insert the signs. Place the egg planter container in the windowsill.
Remember to water your plants every day. It would be fun to do scientific observations. Record the day you planted and then use tally marks for each plant to mark the days until you see a sprout. Once the plant has sprouted have children draw the plant each day to record the changes.
When the seedlings are bigger transplant them outdoors.
Earth Day Reading Materials
- Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
- The Ultimate Step-by-Step Kids’ First Gardening Book: Fantastic Gardening Ideas for 5–12 Year Olds, from Growing Fruit and Vegetables and Having Fun with Flowers to Indoor and Outdoor Nature Projects
- Kids’ Container Gardening: Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out
Once you have your garden set up, give it some color with easy to make another great Earth Day craft —–> Rainbow Rocks.
We love crafting! Be sure to check out our Craft Posts for more ways to create fun, frugal crafts and projects at your house!
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Penny W says
If you want to use markers, you can take a white crayon (or one of the leftover clear ones from an egg dying kit) and rub it over the marker to make a protective barrier.