Planting Joy: Seed Bombs as Fun Activities for Kids on Earth Day or Mother’s Day Gifts
As Earth Day approaches or when Mother’s Day is around the corner, finding meaningful activities or gifts that celebrate nature can be both delightful and purposeful. One such activity gaining popularity is making seed bombs—an eco-friendly way to spread beauty and promote biodiversity effortlessly.
What are Seed Bombs?
Seed bombs, also known as seed balls, are small balls made of clay, compost, and seeds. They are a convenient and effective way to plant seeds without tilling the soil. The clay and compost protect the seeds from birds and insects while providing essential nutrients for germination. Once the seed bomb is thrown onto bare soil or in a garden bed, the outer shell breaks down, and the seeds begin to grow.
Why Choose Seed Bombs?
Environmental Benefits: Seed bombs help restore native plant populations, support pollinators like bees and butterflies, and improve soil health.
Educational Value: Making seed bombs can be a valuable learning experience for children, teaching them about plant life cycles, ecosystems, and the importance of environmental stewardship.
Personalized Gifts: For Mother’s Day, handmade seed bombs can be a thoughtful gift that keeps on giving. Imagine presenting a beautifully decorated box filled with seed bombs that will bloom into colorful flowers—each a reminder of your love and appreciation.
Instructions For Clay Seed Bombs
These are a great Earth Day activity or Mother’s Day Gift Activity! For Mother’s Day, our 3rd grade class usually takes photos outside in front of our blue bonnets and we print these photos on paper. We add them to a coaster with mod podge. This would be a cute item to include with this gift.
We made these clay bombs this year and the kids LOVED them! This is such a great hands on learning activity!
Clay recipe!
NOTE: If the clay is a firmer variety you will need to add in a few drops of water to help you knead and shape it.
- Roll a small 1 1/2″ ball of white air dry clay (see diy option on next page).
- Flatten it out and add about 1 tsp. of potting soil.
- Knead the soil into the clay.
- Flatten it again and add approximately 1/4 tsp. seeds.
- Knead the seeds into the clay. It would be good to use Zinnia seeds – fast growing and a great pollinator flower.
- Shape into hearts and allow to dry. Wax paper is good for drying.
Toss the seed bombs anywhere appropriate where there is dirt. The next time it rains it will dissolve.
You could create these for Earth Day but save them to go with Mother’s Day gifts.
Air Dry Clay Recipe
Materials:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup Water
Step One: Add above ingredients together and cook the clay.
Place the pot on a burner over low to medium heat. Stir continuously until the mixture starts to pull away from the pot and it forms a “mashed potato” consistency.
Pull the pot off the heat immediately when it reaches this thickness. Do not overcook!
Put the clay into a bowl or spread it out on a baking sheet to cool. Let the clay reach room temperature before working with it.
It will take at least half an hour to cool down.
Step 2: Use the Clay
The texture of the clay should be very soft and moldable, but not sticky. If the clay sticks to surfaces, or your hands, dust the work area with cornstarch.
You can roll out the clay or form it with your hands.
Recycled Wildflower Seed Paper
Materials :
6-8 pieces of colored paper: construction or scrapbook, etc.,
warm water
window screen
blender
seed packets
Tear construction paper into 2” pieces, add to blender, then add warm water, blend,
Scoop out the paper, squeeze out excess water, then add seeds, then scoop onto window screen to form paper, allow this mixture to dry
