Growing a Cress Garden

I don't claim any credit for this. I came across an image on the internet and, as I had to do a craft activity with a group of kids ages 4-12, this is what I chose.

Get an empty matchbox (I bought packs of ten for speed as I had a large group to work with). Bought ones for craft are plain but if you are using one that has contained matches then just wrap paper round to cover the print.

Measure how far up the tray part comes against the outside and draw a line, everything you draw above the line will show when the two parts are put together at the end. Draw a house (some of the younger kids drew an animal face so the tray in front would be a feeding bowl!).

Line the tray with an offcut of plastic bag to try and keep it waterproof (didn't work well for me so stand it in a saucer when finished so it doesn't damage polished surfaces).

Half fill the tray with folded tissues or cotton wool.

Scatter cress seeds in the tray and place it in front of the house. Water liberally to start with and then about a teaspoon of water a day to continue. Place it on a windowsill (in the saucer to protect from any leaks or careless watering) and watch your garden grow.

An advantage of this kind of lawn is that you only have to cut the grass once!