How Planting Sunflowers Can Bring You and Your Grandkids Closer Than Ever

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Gardening can be even more fun for kids when you turn it into a game. One fun idea is a sunflower race!

A sunflower race is simple. Everyone plants a sunflower seed (or two), picks which one is theirs, and then watches to see whose plant grows the fastest!

I do this every year with my grandkids, and they love it. Sunflower seeds are big, so they’re easy for small hands to hold and plant.

Another great thing about sunflowers is how fast they grow. It’s exciting to see them stretch tall toward the sky. On sunny days, the flowers even turn to follow the sun across the sky. That cool trick is called heliotropism.

Your grandkids will enjoy helping you plant sunflowers and other garden veggies or flowers. It’s a fun project to watch grow all summer long.

Here’s how you can start your own sunflower race with your grandkids!

Shopping List

• Small plant pots
• Sunflower seeds (pick your favorite kind)
• Good-quality potting soil (multi-purpose compost)
• Plant food (like bonemeal)
• Plant labels for names
• Small garden shovel (hand trowel)
• Bamboo sticks (to help support the plants)
• Watering can
• Gardening gloves

Here’s how you can start your own sunflower race with your grandkids!

Start by filling small pots with soil and making a hole in each one.

Use good-quality potting soil so your sunflowers have the nutrients they need. Make sure the pots have drainage holes so water doesn’t build up. Use your finger or a stick to poke a small hole in the middle of each pot—about an inch deep.

Plant one sunflower seed in each hole and gently cover it with soil.

Place the seed sideways in the hole. This helps it sprout more easily. Then cover it with a little soil and press down gently to make sure the seed is snug and cozy.

Let everyone choose their sunflower and label the pots with their names.

This makes the activity fun and personal! Use a marker or sticker to write each person’s name on a label. Stick the label into the soil so everyone knows which sunflower is theirs.

Water the pots well and keep the soil moist as the sunflowers grow.

Give each pot a good drink of water after planting. After that, water them when the top of the soil feels dry. Don’t let the soil get too soggy—it should feel like a damp sponge.

Place the pots on a sunny windowsill and add a stick to support each plant.

Sunflowers love the sun! A bright windowsill will help them grow strong. As they get taller, gently tie the stem to a bamboo stick or pencil to help keep them standing straight.

Move the sunflowers outside once the weather is warm and frost-free.

Wait until late spring when it’s no longer cold at night. Then plant the sunflowers in a sunny spot in your garden or yard. Be careful when moving them so you don’t hurt their roots.

Give your sunflowers a boost by mixing plant food into the soil.

Adding plant food can help sunflowers grow faster and healthier. Follow the directions on the package so you don’t use too much. Mix it into the soil before planting them outside.

Measure the sunflowers every two weeks and track their growth on a chart.

Use a ruler or measuring tape to see how tall each sunflower is. Write the height on a fun chart or graph so you can watch the changes. This makes the race more exciting!

The winner is the person with the tallest sunflower by summer!

At the end of the summer, check the final heights and see who grew the tallest sunflower. You can give a small prize or just enjoy celebrating together. Either way, everyone wins by having fun!

I hope you and your grandkids have fun with this special activity (and good luck to the best gardener). Even if you don’t turn it into a race, gardening together is a fun hobby. It’s something you can enjoy now, and it’s a skill your grandkids can use for the rest of their lives.

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