Creating your own mini garden in a pot is a simple and enjoyable activity that combines the joys of gardening and crafting. Not only is it a great sensory experience, but it also allows you to proudly display your creation to friends and family. Follow these steps to make your own mini garden:

What you'll need:

A medium-sized terracotta pot (roughly 20-30cm in diameter)
Soil
Small trowel
Decorations for the garden, such as pebbles, stones, shells or decorative ornaments, like a small house or fence
2 or 3 types of plants (preferably fairly hardy varieties)
1 ½ lolly sticks
The Activity:

Encourage the person or group to fill up their pot with soil, scooping it up with the trowel. Take the time to talk about how the soil feels and smells.
Get them to make 2 or 3 holes with their fingers, spaced apart, to plant their flowers.
Once the flowers are in place, it's time to decorate their mini garden. Encourage them to choose and place their decorations wherever they wish, asking them questions to help spark conversation, such as "What colours are you choosing?", "Does it remind you of a garden you used to have?", and "What's your favourite plant?".
At each stage, invite them to enjoy the feel of the soil, the smell of the plants, and the shapes and textures of the decorative items.
Once they've finished, glue half of the lolly stick to the longer stick to create a signpost and write their name on it (e.g. Betty's Garden).
Finally, encourage everyone to care for their garden long after the activity finishes, with watering, pruning, and tending.
This activity is perfect for both indoor and outdoor settings, and can be enjoyed alone or in a group. So why not get your hands dirty and create your own mini garden today?