Gardening Club Ideas For Winter

Just because the days are getting cooler and shorter doesn't mean children have to stop enjoying lots of outdoor play. Having fun and creative garden projects on offer is a great way to keep kids active outdoors and enjoying the fresh air.

The school gardening club I run is back in action after the school holiday, with a group of young gardeners ready for action. Here are 20 ideas you can use over the autumn and winter terms – at home as well as in a school garden – to enjoy the outdoors all year round, with some special activities taken from my book The Garden Classroom.

20 school garden ideas for autumn and winter

* all the ideas in green are featured in The Garden Classroom

1. Harvest sunflower seeds to eat, grow next year or sell as a fundraiser (pop back next week and I'll show you how we made our own pretty seeds packets)

2. Weed and tidy the last of the summer-harvested plants

3. Fill the compost bin with all the weedings, finished plants and fallen leaves.

4. Feed the soil with compost and dig over the raised beds (the kids love digging!)

5. Make some artwork to brighten the garden over the winter: cement tile art* or bunting*

6. Set up abug hotel* for overwintering insects

7. Leave a messy area of old wood and a leaf pile for sheltering insects

8. Sow sweet peas in the green house ready for next year

9. Wash out seed trays and pots. (Can prevent the spread of plant disease and it's quite nice to start next year with clean pots. Always a popular activity with the kids too!)

10. Plant onion sets and garlic bulbs.