This fine motor garden pretend play activity is perfect for preschoolers! They are learning so much from this project, from vegetable identification, how plants grow and even fine motor exercise perfect for those pre-handwriting skills!
Gardening with kids is so valuable. We did this activity for the Virtual Book Club for Kids and the book, The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. There are so many ways to learn about and play with gardens! We can’t wait to start our seeds indoors soon!
Garden Pretend Play Busy Box
This garden pretend play box is so simple to make and kids will find so many ways to use their imagination with it!
What you need for your garden pretend play:
recycled cardboard box
brown paint
green felt
craft/popsicle sticks
tape
printable vegetables
laminator (optional – but totally worth it 😉 get my favorite one here)
Set up your garden pretend play:
Paint the box brown.
Cut ‘grass’ out of green felt and tape to edges of the box.
Print and laminate the vegetables.
>>Download the printable Vegetables here<<
You can grab the set above for free, or upgrade and grab the entire garden activity kit here! We LOVE the garden jokes cootie catcher!
Cut out and attach to craft sticks and cut slits in the cardboard with a sharp knife or exacto knife.
Plant your vegetables in the garden!
My kids had so much fun making the garden as well as playing with it. Don’t forget to involve them in the creation! You can use this opportunity to talk about the plant life cycle, or what gardens need to grow.
My 3 year old enjoyed picking her vegetables and making a tasty salad – her favorite food! We also talked about which vegetables she didn’t like to much, and different meals we can make from the produce!
Too fun! Enjoy!
We store just about everything in zippered pencil pouches!
Don’t forget to grab everything you need for this garden pretend play activity!
More garden-themed activities from the VBC Co-Hosts:
Alphabet Puzzle Cards – Sea of Knowledge
Flower Garden Name Puzzle – Still Playing School
Number Activities with Printable Flowers and Worms by JDaniel4’s Mom
The Seeds We Eat- Teach Beside Me
A Fun Way for Kids to Plan a Garden – Sunny Day Family
Seed & Plant Matching Game & {FREE} Cards – Preschool Powol Packets
Plant Biology for Kids – Mama Smiles
Rainbow Spin Art Flower Craft – Messy Little Monster
Build a Flower Creative Invitation from My Storytime Corner
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