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.
