Teacup Gardening (3 Mini Gardens We Love)

I am a big fan of gardening and I always have lots of gardening projects going on with the children at Le Chemin ABA – outside in our courtyard garden, in our window boxes and in our indoor herb garden. I recently fell in love with teacup gardening.

The children love learning about different plants, and especially getting to participate in all of the sensory fun of touching the dirt and planting the plants! Watering our plants is one of the children’s daily functional activities, along with feeding the therapy dogs and changing the paper towel rolls in each of the rooms of our learning house. Learn more about engaging your kids in functional activities in my blog post, functional learning activities for children with autism.

I am always looking for new, creative ideas to make gardening fun and to add new steps of learning for the children at my center. Children with autism have a tendancy to learn one way of doing something – for example, gardening means planting purple flowers in the flower bed to the right of the door of the learning house. To teach the kids that there are many ways, and places, to garden I try to mix things up as much as possible, planting in the flower beds, inside, outside, in the therapy rooms, in the window boxes, in my office and now… in teacups! (The possibilities really are endless!)

What is teacup gardening?

Basically the idea is using old teacups as mini planters. I find teacups in the outdoor markets here in Paris. You can also buy inexpensive teacups at Target for this project.

3 Teacup Gardening Projects We Love

Mini teacup gardens from Camp Makery

Aren’t these mini gardens adorable? You can plant flowers, greenery and even add miniature objects to your teacup gardens.

Mini gardens in teacups. Featured by LE CHEMIN ABA, learning house for children with autism, in Paris, France.

Teacup herb gardens from Get Creative Juice

I love the idea of planting herbs in teacups and having fresh herbs available for all your cooking needs.

Teacup herb gardens. Featured by LE CHEMIN ABA, learning house for children with autism, in Paris, France.

Gorgeous pansies in a teacup from Min Plat Su Solen (My Place in the Sun)

Pansies are a great flower to plant because they are quite easy to care for. I love the contrast of the deep purple pansies and the white and blue china.

Gorgeous pansies in teacups. Featured by LE CHEMIN ABA, learning house for children with autism, in Paris, France.

More Gardening Activities for Kids with Autism

More Autism Resources

The Successful Interaction with a Child with Autism Course – learn to better understand your autistic child or students with this complete course.
Autism Activities Workbook Bundle – build communication skills, fine motor skills, sensory play skills and daily living skills, while helping your child or students to successfully manage any difficult behaviors, with these fun, educational, printable activities.
Sensory Communication Workbook – Build communication skills with simple sensory activities.
How to Make a Communication Binder Guide & Workbook – Learn how to create a Communication Binder for your child or student with autism using real photos. Follow my expert guide to learn how to use it to increase communication skills.
Zoo Animals Play Dough Mats Bundle – use these printable play dough mat to work on the names of the animals, build language skills, and increase fine motor strength and precision in a fun, sensory way!