Making an herb garden teaches kids about how plants grow, and tending to the plants helps children develop responsibility. Plus, kids love adding the herbs they've grown to recipes you cook together. Rather than using potting soil, we suggest using a "soil-less" potting mix or any mix sold specifically for seed starting. (Ask at your local garden center.) For seeds, try thyme, oregano, cilantro, dill, sweet marjoram, or sage.
Step 1
Read the directions on the seed packs before you begin. Pay particular attention to the recommended depth for planting. Some large seeds may need to be soaked in water to soften the seed coat. If so, soak them in separate small dishes overnight.
Step 2
Cover your work area with newspaper. Parents can use the needle to poke five to eight small drainage holes in the bottom of each cell of a clean, dry egg carton. To catch any watering run-off, set the egg carton on a large plate or tray or create a drip pan by placing the carton on a piece of tinfoil and folding up the foil's edges.
Step 3 (Optional)
Use Wonder Pets Egg-Carton Stickers to create a small diorama inside the planter. Also encourage your child to decorate with her own drawings inside and outside the box.
Step 4
Help your child spoon the potting mix or the seed-starting mix into each cell of the egg carton. Fill about halfway and moisten well by spooning the water onto the mix.
Step 5
Now your child can place a few seeds (of the same kind of herb) into each cell of the egg carton. Use a different type of herb seed in each cell and try not to plant the seeds too densely in the potting mix. Cover the seeds with more soil-less mix, keeping in mind that the smaller the seed the thinner the layer of mix needed to cover it. Moisten the soil again.
Step 6
Show your child how to write the name of each herb on one end of a popsicle stick and gently poke the other end into the appropriate egg carton cell.
Step 7
Drape a large sheet of plastic cling wrap over the egg carton and place it in a warm spot out of direct sun (on top of a water heater, television, or refrigerator is ideal). Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. As soon as you see the first sprouts appear, place the herb garden on a sunny windowsill. Make sure you or your child waters the herbs regularly. As the herbs grow, make sure you water them more often. When the herb plants have grown too large for the egg carton, you can replant them into larger containers or in your garden.
