Sock Gardens

Have left over, mismatched socks?  Don’t throw them away!  Instead, use them for a fun and creative sock garden.  This is an activity that the tiniest of feet can participate in. To do so, this is what you’ll need:

– lonely, mismatched socks
– any type of seeds
– space to spread the seeds and dirt
– planters or jugs
– soil

In an outdoor, cleared area, spread a variety of types of seeds and dirt out.  You can use flower, plant, vegetable, or even grass seeds. It makes it more fun if the children do not know what type of seeds their feet are dancing upon.  Each participating person, yes adults you can do this too, will dampen their lonely sock and walk or crawl through the seeds.

Once your sock has a sufficient amount of seeds stuck to it, remove and put it into your planter or jug.  For those little baby socks, an empty coffee container works great!  Fill with planting soil, water and wait!

When the seeds begin to sprout, children will enjoy trying to guess what is going to grow out of their sock.  Have them document their hopes and guesses, noting what the leaves are beginning to look like and what color the blossoms are turning.  At the end of the cycle, when the plant has bloomed, children can draw and paint what their sock has created!

Also, be sure to check out Chicago AEYC’s take on a Sock Garden.

We strive to create fun and informative content that will help young children learn and grow. However, it's important to keep in mind that all activities should be performed under the supervision of an adult. The Adventurous Child website is intended to serve as a reference and guidance for educational activities, and it is ultimately the responsibility of the parent, guardian, and/or educator to determine the appropriateness of the activity for their child’s age and maturity level. Thank you for your understanding and support!