Foothills Kids Outdoors

🪴 Grow It Inside: Easy Winter Growing for Kids

It's cold and snowy in the foothills, so let's grow a little green indoors. You can do all 7 of these projects on a windowsill or kitchen counter, mostly with things you already have. They're for kids about 6 to 13. A grown-up should do any cutting with a knife.

⚠️ Safety first

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7 easy indoor growing projects

🌱 1. Microgreens on a Windowsill

⏱️ When you'll see something
Cabbage-family seeds like radish, broccoli, and kale can sprout in about 1½ days (36 hours) in a warm room. You can harvest in 7 to 21 days.
🧒 Kid job
Be the Mister. Spray the seeds every day and measure how tall they've grown.

What you need

a shallow container with holes in the bottom (like a washed takeout or berry box), a tray to set it on, potting mix, seeds (radish, broccoli, kale, mustard, or arugula), a spray bottle, plastic wrap or a lid, and scissors.

Steps

  1. Fill the container with damp potting mix, about 2.5–4 cm (1–1½ in.) deep.
  2. Sprinkle seeds thickly and evenly over the top.
  3. Gently press the seeds down with your hand.
  4. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lid to keep it warm and damp.
  5. Mist with water every day so the top stays damp but not soggy.
  6. When the seeds sprout, take the cover off and move the container to your sunniest window (or under a grow light).
  7. When the plants are 5–8 cm (2–3 in.) tall and the first real leaves open, snip them just above the soil. Rinse them and eat!

💡 Safety note

Rinse microgreens before you eat them. They won't grow back after you cut them, so plant a new batch.

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🫙 2. Sprouts in a Jar

⏱️ When you'll see something
Sprouts are ready in about 3 to 6 days, depending on the seed.
🧒 Kid job
Rinse Captain. Rinse and drain the jar every morning and every evening, and check it off on a chart.

Health Canada advises cooking sprouts before kids eat them.

What you need

a clean wide-mouth glass jar (about 1 L / 1 qt), cheesecloth and a rubber band (or a jar ring), seeds sold for sprouting (alfalfa, broccoli, radish, lentils, or mung beans), and water.

Steps

  1. With a grown-up, wash the jar really well. Wash your hands too.
  2. Put the seeds in the jar, about 1–2.5 cm (½–1 in.) deep. Add water and skim off any seeds or bits that float.
  3. Cover with lukewarm water and soak for 12 to 16 hours.
  4. Put the cheesecloth over the top, hold it on with the rubber band, and pour the water out. Rinse and drain again.
  5. Lay the jar on its side in a dark place at room temperature.
  6. Rinse and drain the sprouts 2 to 4 times a day. Always drain out all the water.
  7. When the sprouts are as long as you want, put the jar in a sunny window for a few hours to turn them green. Then rinse them and put them in the fridge.

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🧅 3. Regrow Green Onions

⏱️ When you'll see something
New green shoots in about 1 to 2 weeks (7–14 days). The bulbs keep making shoots for a few months.
🧒 Kid job
Onion Barber. Measure the shoots each week and give them a "haircut" for dinner.

What you need

a bunch of green onions with the roots still on, a narrow glass, mug, or jar, and water.

Steps

  1. Cut off the green tops and use them in cooking.
  2. Keep the white ends with the roots still attached.
  3. Stand them roots-down in the glass.
  4. Add just enough water to cover the roots.
  5. Put the glass in a warm, sunny spot.
  6. Change the water once a week.
  7. Snip off the new green shoots when you want some for cooking. They keep regrowing!

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🥕 4. Regrow Carrot Tops

⏱️ When you'll see something
The greens are almost ready to harvest after a few weeks.
🧒 Kid job
Water Keeper. Clean the dish and add fresh water every few days.

What you need

2 or 3 firm, fresh whole carrots (not baby carrots), a shallow dish, water, and a knife (for a grown-up).

Steps

  1. Ask a grown-up to cut about 2.5–4 cm (1–1½ in.) off the top of each carrot.
  2. If there are leaves on top, trim them to a short stub.
  3. Stand the carrot tops cut-side down in the shallow dish.
  4. Add water about 1–2.5 cm (½–1 in.) deep, and keep it at that level.
  5. Put the dish in a sunny spot.
  6. Every 3 to 4 days, rinse the dish with warm water (no soap) and add fresh water.
  7. Watch for roots on the sides and feathery green leaves on top.

💡 Good to know

You'll only get leaves. The carrot won't grow a new carrot to eat.

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🥑 5. Sprout an Avocado Pit

⏱️ When you'll see something
The pit should sprout within a few weeks. If nothing has happened after 2 months, try a new pit.
🧒 Kid job
Pit Watcher. Check the water level every few days and draw a picture each week.

What you need

an avocado pit (seed), 3 or 4 toothpicks, a glass of water, and later a pot with potting mix.

Steps

  1. Take the pit out of the avocado and wash it.
  2. Find the top and bottom. The wide end is the bottom and the pointy end is the top.
  3. With a grown-up's help, push 3 or 4 toothpicks into the sides of the pit, about halfway up.
  4. Rest the toothpicks on the rim of a glass so the bottom of the pit sits in the water.
  5. Keep the water topped up to the same level.
  6. Roots grow first and then a stem. When the roots are 5–8 cm (2–3 in.) long, plant the pit in a pot with the top of the pit level with the soil.
  7. Put the pot near a bright window and keep the soil damp but not wet.

💡 Good to know

The pit is for growing, not snacking. It becomes a houseplant, not an avocado tree that makes fruit indoors.

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🌺 6. Grow an Amaryllis Bulb

⏱️ When you'll see something
Flowers in about 6 to 8 weeks (University of Wisconsin). North Carolina State Extension says about 5 weeks after potting.
🧒 Kid job
Stalk Measurer. Measure the flower stalk every few days and graph how fast it grows.

⚠️ Safety note inside

What you need

an amaryllis bulb, a pot with a drainage hole that's a little wider than the bulb, a saucer, potting mix, and water.

Steps

  1. Wash your hands after touching the bulb.
  2. Put a few inches of potting mix in the pot.
  3. Set the bulb on top, then fill in around it. Leave the top part (the "neck") of the bulb sticking out.
  4. Water well and put the pot in a cool, sunny spot.
  5. Water just a little until a sprout appears.
  6. After it sprouts, water more often so the soil stays damp.
  7. Watch the tall flower stalk grow and the big flowers open!

⚠️ Safety note

Amaryllis is poisonous to people and pets, and the bulb is the most poisonous part. Eating it can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and eating a lot can cause more serious problems. It's especially harmful to cats and dogs. Keep it away from little kids and pets, and wash your hands after handling it.

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🌼 7. Paperwhite Bulbs in Pebbles

⏱️ When you'll see something
Roots grow in about 3 weeks. Flowers in 3 to 5 weeks.
🧒 Kid job
Root Detective. Look through the clear bowl and count the new roots every few days.

⚠️ Safety note inside

What you need

paperwhite (Narcissus) bulbs, a clear bowl or glass container, washed pebbles, gravel, or marbles, and water.

Steps

  1. Fill the bowl about two-thirds full with pebbles.
  2. Set the bulbs on top, flat end down and pointy end up. Don't let them touch each other.
  3. Add more pebbles around the bulbs to hold them up. Leave the tips showing.
  4. Add water until it just reaches the bottoms of the bulbs. If the bulbs sit in water, they can rot.
  5. Put the bowl in a cool, dark place for about 3 weeks so roots can grow.
  6. Move it to a cool, sunny window. Keep the water at the same level.
  7. Enjoy the sweet-smelling flowers! Tie the stems to a stick if they flop over.

⚠️ Safety note

Paperwhites (Narcissus) are poisonous to people and pets, and the bulbs are the most poisonous part. Eating them can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Handling the bulbs, stems, and flowers can also irritate skin. Keep them away from little kids and pets, wear gloves or wash your hands after handling.

✉️ Get one easy project every Thursday

Quick comparison

ProjectFirst thing you'll seeCan you eat it?
Microgreens~1½ days (sprouts); harvest 7–21 daysYes, rinse first
Sprouts in a jarReady in 3–6 daysOnly after cooking well
Green onionsNew shoots in 7–14 daysYes
Carrot topsGreens ready in a few weeksLeaves only
Avocado pitSprouts in a few weeks (up to 2 months)No, it's a houseplant
AmaryllisFlowers in ~5–8 weeksNo, poisonous
PaperwhitesRoots ~3 weeks; flowers 3–5 weeksNo, poisonous

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Preview photo: Zenyrgarden, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)