Keeping kids busy is one thing … keeping them busy and interested in doing activities that are good for them is a completely different ballgame.
Teach your kids to make an eggshell succulent garden one weekend after a hearty breakfast of boiled eggs. It will not only keep them busy for hours and be great fun to put together but it’s something they can appreciate for many moons to come. With the sheer variety of succulents available it’s hard to imagine kids not being able to find at least a few they’d love to take home.
What you’ll need:
- Empty egg shells
- An egg carton or empty toilet rolls
- Succulent plants
- Seedling mix
Step 1
Hard boil some eggs for breakfast and remember that when you chop the top off, you should be careful not to break the shell too far down. Once breakfast is over, give the egg shells a quick clean and leave them to dry.
Step 2
Pop into your nearest garden centre, with the kids, and let them check out at all the succulents available while you pick up some seedling mix. It’s up to you how many they leave with but remember that they’ll only fit one plant into each egg shell.
Step 3
The kids will be planting unrooted cuttings. Let them pick off the bits that they would like to plant into their eggshells but make sure that the sap can dry off the ends a bit before planting.
Nothing goes to waste! Mom and dad get to plant out the rest of the succulents in the garden once the kids have taken their pieces.
Step 4
Pop your egg shells into your egg carton to keep them upright. If you don’t have an egg carton you could also use an empty toilet roll. Just cut the empty toilet roll in half or in three, depending on how many you have or need to make and stand the egg up in that. The kids can decorate the toilet roll or carton as they like, so let them get creative.
Step 5
Fill your egg shells with soil until they’re about 3/4 full and put your succulent into the soil.
Step 6
Using a spray bottle, gently spray them with water. Succulents don’t like too much water so you’ll only need to spray them every now and then.
Succulent extras:
- They are extremely water wise plants.
- Most succulent’s clean lines, striking forms and dramatic silhouettes fit into today’s modern and simple styles of homes and décor.
- The increased interest in indigenous plants and the environment means more attention is focused on many of our unique South African aloes and succulents.
- Most succulents tolerate extremes of climate like baking sun, strong winds and even frosts and so are very adaptable and easy to grow.
For more information on bringing life to your garden, visit the Life is a Garden website or join the conversation on their Facebook page.
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