Coronavirus: Gardening ideas for kids to try

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The majority of schools in the UK are currently shut to help limit the spread of the coronavirus and lots of you will be spending a lot more time at home.

It's likely that you're still be following a daily schedule or routine, but your free time at home will be far from boring if you get a little creative!

With the arrival of spring, there are lots of cool gardening activities you can try out.

Why don't you have a go at one of the suggestions below to get your green fingers going?

Make a buzzy bee hotel

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Nothing says Spring quite like the arrival of our tiny friends - the bees!

The flying insects are a really important part of our planet.

Bees spread pollen between lots of different parts of flowers and plants. This is part of a process known as pollination and allows plants to create seeds.

There are lots of different types of bees including the honey and bumblebee. However, there's also another type of the insect known as the solitary bee.

Unlike their bee relatives, solitary bees don't produce honey and they don't live in hives. They actually make their nests on their own and lay their eggs in tunnels.

You can help give them a place to live by making your very own bee tunnel. Check out how by watching our video below!

Video caption, How to make a bee hotel - a step by step guide.

Get your Picasso on with some rock painting

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Painting is a great way to get creative and arty and this way you don't need paper or card to do it! Why not try out rock-painting?

It's a brilliant way to add some colour to your garden and beautifully decorated stones also work well as cool ornaments for your house too.

All you'll need is some paint, a good-sized flat rock with a smooth surface and some creative ideas. Just make sure to wash your rocks beforehand to get any dirt off and let them air dry completely before painting.

Why not try painting your rock so it looks like a family member or friend? You could even try painting your pet!

Grow your own fruit and veg

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Growing your own food is a really rewarding experience. Seeing a seed slowly transform into your favourite fruit or vegetable is pretty magical, and now could be the perfect time for you to give it a go!

You can either try growing something in your garden if you have one, but lots of fruits and vegetables can also be grown indoors in plant pots too.

Herbs like basil, mint and rosemary, radishes, chillies, tomatoes and strawberries are just some of the delicious foods you can grow at home and all you need are some seeds to start.

If you're planning to grow something in your garden, remember:

  • choose a good spot where your plants will get enough sunlight
  • get rid of any weeds and stones in the soil where you're planning to plant your seeds
  • you can improve the quality of the soil by adding in your own compost - why not try making this using old fruit and veg?
  • your plants needs to be watered regularly, especially during dry weather when there's not a lot of rain.

If you're looking to grow plants indoors, here are our top tips:

  • find a good container or pot to plant your seeds - this is also a great chance to recycle, why not use an old plastic container, or even an old welly boot!
  • similar to planting outside, make sure your using good quality soil adding compost where you can
  • make sure your container is the right size for the plant - some may need more room for their roots
  • put your plants in a place where they'll get enough sunlight like a windowsill or balcony if you have one
  • water your plants regularly to ensure they grow nice and healthy.

Get snapping!

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As the weather gets warmer, you'll probably start to see lots of different types of plants and flowers, birds and insects.

Why not use this as an opportunity to take some cool pictures?

All you'll need is a device to take pictures with, your garden or other space where plants and flowers grow and a willingness to capture nature in a fun and creative way.

You can even look back at the pictures later and write down how each each one makes you feel.

Make a bird feeder

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Making your very own bird feeder isn't only great for the many species of birds living in the UK, but it's also an awesome way to recycle.

All you need to try out this DIY project is a clean, empty container like a plastic bottle or milk carton, some string, scissors and some bird food or nuts.

You'll need an adult to help you with this - don't try to do it on your own.

Start by making a hole in the side of the container. It's best i fthis is an oval shape and it also has to be big enough so the birds can access the food.

Add a few holes to the bottom of the container. This will allow any rain that gets in to drain away.

Fill the container with the bird food, and use the string to tie it to a place it can hang freely from - like a tree. And that's it!

Are you going to be trying one of these ideas out? Let us know in the comments!