Need a fun craft to do with your kids? Try making seed balls!
Seed balls or seed bombs are a ball of clay, compost, water and seeds that when dried, can be thrown into the garden or yard. Try using wildflower seeds, herb seeds or vegetable seeds. These will most likely be the most successful at spreading and germinating. It’s going to yield a more random pattern of growth, so make sure to throw them in an area of the garden or yard that you’re okay with that. If your child has an area of the garden where they experiment, this would be a perfect one for them.
Did I mention seed balls have been around since ancient times? They used them in Egypt and in Japan, that we know of. In Japan, they call them earth dumplings. How cute.
Ideally, you want to make these in the spring or summer while things are starting to grow. This gives the seeds a whole growing season to take off and grow.
Materials you’ll need to make these:
- Mixing bowl
- Small cup
- Gloves
- Kitty litter
- Compost
- Water
- Seeds
- Paper bag
Now, on to the recipe:
- Put on your gloves and get 1 scoop of compost with your small cup and pour it in the mixing bowl.
- Now get 5 scoops of kitty litter and pour it in the mixing bowl.
- Add 2-3 small cups of water to the mix.
- Add a scoop of seeds to the mix.
- Mix thoroughly by hand and form into 1″ diameter balls.
- Set outside to dry for 24-48 hours.
- Store them in a paper bag until you are ready to throw them in the desired location! (It helps to do this before you know it’s going to rain.)
There are several versions of this recipe, so if you have a special recipe you like to use, then go for it!
