Today, I’m sharing 5 plastic bottle craft ideas. Also, look at my page Easy Seeds and Gardening Unit Study for Kids (Middle – Upper Elementary) for more ideas.
Too, we’re creating these adorable 2-liter plastic bottle mini greenhouses.
By turning plastic bottles into greenhouses, you’re not only doing science but teaching about upcycling.
In addition, I have a bit of history of greenhouses, and you can have a mini unit study for the day.
Mini greenhouses are a game-changer for any gardener, no matter your skill level!
So this makes for a great hands-on learning project for multiple ages.
A greenhouse is basically an enclosed space that is heated and lit by the sun.
Now if you were to expand this project into an actual structure, you will want to cover other topics.
Look at these questions and ideas to think about and plan.
- what size project is right for your family
- how many children will be using the space
- who will be maintaining the space and how much time do you have
- what do you want to grow. Do you want to grow just vegetables, plants, or explore hydroponics?
Also, for any type of greenhouse, the fun part is checking the progress each day.
This can be expanded into lessons.
Children can take light, wind, and temperature measurements and track the sun at different times of the day.
Additionally, learn about the history of greenhouses.
History of Greenhouses
Did you know that greenhouses are also called glass houses?
Some of the earliest accounts of using structures to grow plants date back to ancient Rome, around 30 A.D.
Cucumber and squash were grown for the Emperor Tiberius.
In addition, Andrew Faneuil an affluent merchant from Boston, built the first known greenhouse in America in 1737.
Look at this site Dave’s Garden for a short history lesson about greenhouses.
Gardening Books for Kids
Too, look at some of the fun living books about gardening to add to your fun craft today.
I prefer living books when I can find them, then I add reference books too.
11 Gardening With Kids Books & Fun Resources
As a true bibliophile no unit study would be complete without a strong list of books to support a topic. Here is a great list for everyone in the family.
Learn the difference between a farrow and a barrow, and what distinguishes a weanling from a yearling. Country and city mice alike will delight in Julia Rothman’s charming illustrated guide to the curious parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from the shapes of squash varieties to how a barn is constructed and what makes up a beehive to crop rotation patterns, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life.
Packed with garden-based activities that promote science, math, reading, writing, imaginative play, and arts and crafts, The Garden Classroom offers a whole year of outdoor play and learning ideas—however big or small your garden.
Explore the secret realm beneath the dirt that brings the world of nature to life: Follow a young girl and her grandmother on a journey through the year planning, planting, and harvesting their garden—and learn about what's happening in the dirt to help make it all happen.Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt exists a busy world—earthworms dig, snakes hunt, skunks burrow—populated by all the creatures that make a garden their home
A refreshing source of ideas to help your children learn to grow their own patch of earth, Gardening Lab for Kids encourages children to get outside and enjoy nature. This fun and creative book features 52 plant-related activities set into weekly lessons, beginning with learning to read maps to find your heat zone, moving through seeds, soil, composting, and then creating garden art and appreciating your natural surroundings.
Whether inside or outside, decorative or edible, this book is full of gardening projects large and small. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions are accompanied by photographs that guide the aspiring gardening through planting all kinds of gardens.
MONTESSORI FOR TODDLERS: Our gardening tool set encourages kids to play outside & learn about plants, nature & sustainability. Perfect for the yard and sand box.
OUTDOOR LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Our Kids Garden Set is great for Occupational Therapy & Developing Fine Motor Skills. Suitable for Boys and girls.
A Gardening Research Workbook & Planning Guide for Teens, Kids and Families! Perfect for Homeschooling Science, Nature Study, Botany and Home Economics!
Designed for teens, but perfect for Ages 9+ (Younger students will need some extra help).
{Raised Garden Bed for Kids} We designed the children raised garden bed carefully, so that your children can feel the happiness of plant growth and the magic of natural life. Our raised garden bed deep enough to provide your plants and vegetables with ample room to breathe and grow healthy.
Flowers, trees, fruits—plants are all around us, but where do they come from? With simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination. Important vocabulary is reinforced with accessible explanation and colorful, clear diagrams showing the parts of plants, the wide variety of seeds, and how they grow. The book includes instructions for a seed-growing project, and a page of interesting facts about plants, seeds, and flowers. A nonfiction classic, and a perfect companion for early science lessons and curious young gardeners.
Kids see plants, flowers, and trees around them every day. In this lively and educational reader, they'll learn how those plants grow. Kids will take this magical journey from seed pollination to plant growth, learning about what plants need to thrive and grow with the same careful text, brilliant photographs, and the fun approach National Geographic Readers are known for.
An easy and fun introduction to plant biology! With the able assistance of Thing 1 and Thing 2 - the Cat in the Hat explores the world of plants. Kids will learn about the various parts of plants, seeds, and flowers; basic photosynthesis and pollination; and seed dispersal.
Additionally, look at these other 5 plastic bottle craft ideas.
5 Plastic Bottle Craft Ideas
- Use a plastic bottle to make this cool submarine on my post Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft.
- How To Make A Plastic Bottle Faux Succulents Terrarium
- Take a 2 or 3 liter plastic bottle and make this Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids.
- DIY Bottle Organizers
- Fairy House Night Lights
More Gardening Ideas | 5 Plastic Bottle Craft Ideas
Similarly, look at more gardening ideas.
- Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost
- Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity
- How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids
- How to Make a Fun Kids Root Viewer
- How to Easily Make Fun Seed Tape With Kids
- 7 Science Garden Ideas and Make a Pizza Container Garden
- How to Make Easy Herb and Olive Oil Garden Bread With Kids
- 8 Peter Rabbit Garden Ideas | How To Make A Preschool Garden Box
Finally, look at these 2-liter bottle mini greenhouses to add to the other 5 plastic bottle craft ideas.
How to Make 2-Liter Bottle Mini Greenhouses
First, here is what you need:
- empty and clean 2-liter bottles
- x-acto knife
- plastic wrap
- rubber band
- soil
- seeds (I used sunflower for this project)
- spray bottle filled with water
- optional: plastic tray
First, using the x-acto knife, cut the middle part of the 2-liter bottle out and discard.
On the bottom of the bottle, cut a few drain holes using the knife.
You’ll want the top portion of the bottle to fit just enough into the bottom portion to create the greenhouse.
Fill the bottom portion of the bottle with soil.
Poke 1-3 holes into the soil for the seeds.
Place a seed into each hole.
Use the spray bottle to moisten the soil enough with water.
Cover the top portion of the bottle with a piece of plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band.
Place the lid on top of the bottom portion of the greenhouse.
Set the mini greenhouses near a windowsill that gets good sunshine.
Use a tray underneath if desired. Observe over a few days.
After a few days, you should see the seeds sprouting.
If you do not see any seeds sprouting, you can try planting another until you get a sprout.
Seeds not sprouting could be from just bad seeds, diseased seeds, etc.
Once plants reach a certain height, you can transfer to a bigger container or garden outside and watch them grow!
