Do your children like to water indoor plants? A Plant Care Basket is a great way of developing the child's interest in plant care and it can also help develop a whole range of skills including coordination and fine motor skills.

What is in our Toddler Plant Care Basket?

• small watering can - we use larger watering cans outside, the smaller size here prevents spills and overwatering.
• small scissors - for trimming plants, removing dead leaves and for harvesting herbs or flowers. Ours are little toddler scissors and good for small hands, they also have blunt tip for safety.
• small bowl - for collecting dead leaves, trimmings, cut herbs etc. 
• Montessori style garden apron - we have different aprons for gardening and kitchen prep.
• leaf duster - this one is a lovely woollen type and has lasted years, cotton wool is an alternative. Similar wool leaf duster in the US here, EU here and Australia here. 
• sponge - for soaking up spills, I've simply cut a larger kitchen sponge, we wash and reuse these. 
• cleaning mitt - for wiping excess water and mess. This is made from terry cloth and the child can put their hand inside it for cleaning. 
• plant mister - toddlers love using this. 

Snipping away the dead leaves!

Leaf dusting. This is a good activity to teach the child gentleness. This requires both hands to work together and it can be difficult for the young toddler to hold the leaf with one hand and dust with the other.

Watering.

Tending to all the plants. The child is able to determine the plant's needs. My toddler loves this work!

Of course, cleaning up. A sponge and cleaning mitt (or cleaning cloth) are essential to this kit. 

Our Plant Care Basket isn't kept on the child's work shelves. I keep it out of reach and get it out, present to the child when it is time for us to water our plants, which is a couple of times a week. Using a kitchen helper and tap extender our toddler fills and refills his watering can independently. Many of our indoor plants are stored up high, so I get them down one by one or a couple at a time for us to water and work on together. 

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