Living Art: Kids' Green Activity with Plants

Living art for kids? Yep! If gardening is on the agenda, this kids' activity is a bit different than the traditional dig in the dirt project.

I’ve heard of being green, going green, green living and various other eco word choice compounds, but green walls? Green walls, to me, meant the failed dining room experiment in which I thought that moss would be a great hue to paint the area (it was not). But, then I remembered seeing something that at the time I thought of as somewhat amazing when walking through downtown Pittsburgh – the green wall at PNC. These mega-sized piece of landscape-ery (yes, I do realize that this isn’t a real word) is living art. By using a combination of differently colored vegetation in shapes and patterns, these plant-covered outdoor public pieces of art pack an earth-friendly statement and are an environmentally way to regulate the temperature and noise inside of the building that they reside upon.

I was planting some new seed in my lawn the other day after the combination of a bitterly cold winter and rushing stream of water from a super-soaking rain decimated much of my grass. It occurred to me that I could take some of the leftover grass seed and try to make one of these “green walls”. Not the building-sized version, but a teeny tiny one that isn’t exactly a wall, but more of a kids’ living art activity.

So, instead of paper and pencils or paint and markers, my son and I set out to make a grassy pattern in a box. This project is easy to adapt, and great for children of all ages. It also doubles as a science exploration and you can even use it to learn a math lesson. Encourage your child to predict what will happen before you plant

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·         A box – A shoe box or similarly sized box will do.

·         Soil

·         Grass seed

·         Tape – Masking or painter’s tape (as long as it’s not clear)

·         Shirt or low-to-the—ground flowers or ornamental grasses

·         A garbage bag

·         Scissors

Here’s What to Do:

1.      Line the inside of the box with the bag.

2.      Poke drainage holes in the bottom of the box and bag for drainage. If the box is thick, you may have to do this step for your child. Keep the box outside so that it can drain with less mess to your house.

3.      Fill the box with dirt.

4.      Create a shape or shapes in the dirt with the tape. Have your child pick a simple shape such as a heart, circle or square. Have her place the tape in the dirt, making the shape.

5.      Add grass seeds to the inside of the shape – filling it in. have your child lightly cover the seeds with soil and add water.

6.      Water the seeds. Doing so also helps your child to better understand what plants need to grow and the life cycle.

7.      Remove the tape as the grass grows. The grass is now in the shape that your child taped.

8.      Fill in the soil around the grass shape with small-sized plants to create a contrast from the grass in another color and texture.

Continue to care for the living art with your child.  Are you looking for more art + science activities? Check out and follow my Pinterest board for ideas!

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Preschool Art and Science Activities on Pinterest.