Growing Together: Gardening Activities for Neurodiverse Children

Simple Garden Activities to Support Learning and Wellbeing for Neurodiverse Tamariki

Gardening is an excellent way to bring tamariki together – to learn, to connect, and to grow. For neurodiverse children, gardening offers a safe and inclusive space where they can experience success, express themselves, and feel a sense of belonging. It is where connections can be made with nature and with others.

In my work with young tamariki, I’ve seen how simple, everyday gardening activities can support emotional wellbeing, foster social connection, and build confidence. Whether it’s watering a plant, harvesting a vegetable, or watching a butterfly land on a flower, these moments matter. They help children feel grounded, joyful, and proud of what they’ve achieved.

Routine-Based Tasks That Build Confidence

Routine is comforting for many neurodiverse tamariki. Gardening naturally lends itself to predictable, repetitive tasks that help children feel secure and capable.

Some of the most effective activities I’ve used include:

• Watering plants each morning or afternoon

• Sowing seeds in trays or garden beds

• Planting seedlings

• Adding mulch and compost

• Weeding

• Checking for growth and recording changes in a garden journal

• Harvesting produce and celebrating the results

These tasks can be supported with visual schedules, step-by-step guides, or simple checklists. Over time, children begin to anticipate what comes next and take pride in completing each step. I’ve watched tamariki who struggle with transitions in other parts of the day move smoothly through gardening routines, finding calm and focus in the rhythm of the garden.

Group Projects That Build Social Connection

Children who are neurodiverse may sometimes find social connection with others difficult. Gardening in a small group with others who enjoy gardening can help. It encourages them to work together, share tools, turn take, and celebrate each other’s successes. Along with working alongside others while they tend to regular garden tasks, undertaking small group projects that relate to the garden can be beneficial too.

Some group projects I’ve found particularly effective include:

• Creating a worm farm and caring for it

• Making compost and using it on the garden

• Making a scarecrow to keep the birds away from young seedlings

• Building a bug hotel to attract beneficial insects

These projects encourage teamwork and communication. I’ve seen tamariki who are usually hesitant to engage with peers begin to open up – offering help, sharing discoveries, and teaching others what they’ve learned. The garden becomes a place where relationships grow alongside the plants.

Garden-to-Table Experiences That Inspire Joy

There’s something magical about growing your own food. For neurodiverse children, garden-to-table experiences offer a tangible sense of achievement and a joyful connection to the natural world.

Some ideas to try:

• Baking with vegetables and herbs they have grown

• Taking extra produce home to share with their families

• Making herb-infused water

• Creating a recipe book with photos and drawings of what they’ve grown and cooked

These activities support sensory exploration, reduce food anxiety, and encourage children to try new tastes in a low-pressure, celebratory way. I’ve seen children full of pride as they are involved with cooking food they’ve grown themselves, it’s a moment of joy that stays with them.

Mindfulness and Emotional Wellbeing in the Garden

Gardening is not just about doing – it’s also about being. The garden provides a space to slow down and enjoy or experience what is going on around you. Taking time to observe, reflect, and connect with nature can be deeply calming and restorative, and is often beneficial for children who struggle to settle at a task. 

Some mindfulness-based activities include:

• Sitting quietly and watching bees or butterflies

• Smelling different herbs and describing the scents

• Listening to the sounds of the garden – birds, wind, water

• Drawing or journaling about what they see and feel

These moments help children regulate their emotions and develop self-awareness. I’ve seen children who are overwhelmed or dysregulated become calm and focused simply by spending time in the garden.

A Place to Grow Together

Gardening with neurodiverse tamariki is not just about plants – it’s about people. It’s about creating spaces where every child feels valued, included, and capable. It’s about fostering joy, learning, and belonging through simple, everyday experiences.

When we garden together, we grow together.