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Sprouted Hobbit House

Growing seeds with kiddos can be so much fun. In this activity, the chia seeds grow so quickly that children stay involved in the process and don’t lose interest. Adding a little magic and whimsy by making it into a hobbit house ignites the imaginations of tiny gardeners.

Supplies

  • Large Planter Base (plastic or terra cotta will work)
  • ½ sphere Styrofoam craft ball
  • Potting soil
  • Chia seeds (the edible ones you already eat are perfect)
  • 4″ by 4″ piece of corkboard
  • Whimsical elements to add to your hobbit house (we just used odds and ends of silk and plastic florals; fairy garden pieces would be perfect also)

hobbit house

 

Directions

  1. Place the ½ Styrofoam craft ball near the edge of the planter base. Having the ball near the edge will give you more room to put whimsical elements around the hobbit house.
  2. Cover the ball and the bottom of the planter base with potting soil.
  3. Sprinkle soil with chia seeds so that it provides an even cover. You might want to avoid putting the chia seeds in certain areas (like where you want a walkway). But sometimes young gardeners get overzealous when sprinkling seeds. No need to worry! Once the seeds begin to sprout, you can thin out or remove any that landed where you didn’t want them.
  4. Gently add water until the soil is moist. Adding water with too heavy of flow will wash away some of the chia seeds.

The sprouts need to stay moist in a relatively warm room. Any room in a reasonably warm house will work (no greenhouse needed!). Just be aware of drafty windows or doors which might make it difficult for the sprouts to grow.

To make the door of the hobbit house, use the bottom of a cup to draw a circle on the corkboard. Cut out the circle and glue a gem or button to make a doorknob.  Place the door on the side of the hobbit hole.

hobbit house

 

Create a Story for your Hobbit House

Have your little one help find fun and magical décor to add to the hobbit house. Help to ignite your child’s imagination by developing a story about the hobbit that lives in the hole.

Our hobbit was a scared little creature that would never come out while we were around. My son (3 years old) kept trying to open the door and peek in at the hobbit. We’d joke that if he wasn’t careful the hobbit might just move out of the hobbit hole and never come back. Finally, we decided the hobbit must be away with a wizard and dwarves on a yearlong adventure to fight a dragon.

 

hobbit house

 

Sprouting Seeds

The seeds will begin to sprout in 4 to 7 days. Use this time to let your child create more stories about the hobbit house. Your child will probably come up with more pieces to add to the landscape. This helps to keep kiddos engaged in the project while they are waiting for the seeds to sprout.

Luckily, once the seeds start sprouting they really take off. We could tell the difference in how much the seeds grew in just a few hours’ time. Both my son and I kept a close eye on the progress of our sprouts. We’d excitedly announce, “They’ve grown!” each time we noticed a difference.

Once the sprouts have leaves, they need direct sunlight to continue growing. If you want to keep them growing, you can later plant them outside. If you plant them in the springtime, they should bloom with purple flowers in mid to late summer. The flowers also attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to bring a whole new observation opportunity to your back yard!

About the Author

Lindsay Whitman Drewes is a 30-something wife and mother of two wonderful boys. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Cross-Cultural and International Education and left teaching inner-city middle school students to be a Stay-at-Home Mom. She is the founder of KiddoKorner; a site dedicated to empowering parents and providing high-quality, educational, and eco-friendly baby and toddler products.

Lindsay works with a variety of clients as a freelance writer and photographer. If you would like to learn more about how she can help your business or project, shoot her an email at Lindsay {at} Kiddo Korner .com.

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