How to Make a Sock Garden With Preschoolers

Preschoolers love to watch things grow. This is a fun way to get rid of those mismatched socks and teach your preschooler something about plants at the same time. Preschoolers can gain more confidence in their running skills going around the yard with socks over their shoes to pick up stray seeds for their sock garden. This will also strengthen their knowledge about what seeds and plants need in order to grow.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Watering can
• Paper for journaling
• Empty gallon milk jug
• Potting soil
• Socks
• Magnifying glass

1. Gather up old mismatched socks.
2. Have your preschooler carefully put the sock over his shoe. Depending on the age, your preschooler might need help for this step. Also, mom and dad can put a sock on their shoe too.
3. Walk around outside with the sock on and this will pick up seeds from plants, flowers, grass and even weeds. Don't forget to carry a magnifying glass during this step.
4. Put 2 cups of potting soil in the bottom of the gallon milk jug.
5. Take the sock off. Preschoolers can examine the sock with the magnifying glass and try to determine what kind of plants will come from the seeds on their socks. Then place the sock in an empty milk jug.
6. Fill the rest of the milk jug with potting soil. Then cover the jug with clear plastic wrap.
7. Water it lightly and watch it grow.

Tips & Warnings

• Preschoolers can observe what is happening on a daily basis to the plants.
• Preschoolers can draw a picture of their observations and parents can write down what the picture meant to them.
• No seeds? Not a problem. Just scatter some flower, grass or vegetable seeds on the ground where you plan to walk.
• Milk jugs must be cleaned thoroughly before the planting process.
• This is best done in the fall and spring time.
• It's best to use potting soil with nutrients in it.
• Be careful when taking off the sock so as not to shake off the seeds that were just captured.