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Let the growing season activate your child

Summer is a perfect time for all things growing. See how easy you can start a small planting project, literally from scraps, and turn it into a fascinating learning experience.

Don’t throw it all away just yet

Having a bin for organic waste is great to begin with. However, some of the things about to be put there can still be useful (beyond compost). Like coffee grounds as plant nutrition. Or the raw material for this planting project: stumps or stalks of carrot, beet, onion, lettuce, cabbage or the like.

Prepare the goods

Even when most of it has been used in cooking, a vegetable can often sprout new shoots if just a part of the stem is left. Experiment by making fresh cuts – choosing a safer knife option won’t hurt – and set them in moist soil. Then wait and see which ones root.

Put your feet up

The kitchen worktop is an ideal workspace – when it’s the right height for you. A step stool gives everyone proper reach. Having a spot to sit while watching your mini garden evolve is a bonus, too.

See the new generation grow up

Trying more types of growing can improve your chances of success. By setting e.g. leeks, onions and Jerusalem artichokes in water, they can produce new roots and keep growing. (While you wait, add smiley faces to see some interesting hairdos and headgear unfold.)

Eat your veggies, again and again

Regrowing scraps is fascinating enough, but you don’t have to stop there. Vegetables like sweet peppers and tomatoes come pre-packaged with seeds ready for planting. Simply set them in soil, water and wait for the magic.

A high-rise of healthy plants

When the planting is done – and you’ve cleaned up in the kitchen – collect your growing garden on a trolley. A floor protector catches spills and simplifies cleaning. Also, save room for a spray bottle and leftover coffee grounds for daily nurturing.

Watch closely – soon they’ve grown out of the house

Once they start to grow, plants put on a show that just keeps going. Mark their progress (with non-permanent ink), and the scene will change day by day. Maybe a school project in the making?

We love to see our customers get creative with our products. Go for it! But please note that altering or modifying IKEA products so they can no longer be re-sold or used for their original purpose, means the IKEA commercial guarantees and your right to return the products will be lost.

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