Horticultural Therapy Activities

Project: Let the Heart Grow!

Purpose: To express our love for family and friends
Materials: marker, heart shaped cookie cutter, new sponge, scissors, water, grass seed, spritzer, plastic wrap, index card, pen
Procedure: Use a marker to trace around a heart shaped cookie cutter onto a new sponge. Cut out the shape. Rinse the sponge well and fit it inside the cutter. Sprinkle sponge with grass seed and spritz. Wrap the cutter in plastic wrap and write care directions on index card. “ Remove plastic wrap. When seed germinates spritz with water daily”

Therapeutic Value:

Cognitive: following directions, sequence of events, recognizing attachments, reading and writing, remembrance
Physical: fine motor skills (scissors, pen), smell and texture of green grass
Emotional: thinking of who to give it to, feelings of love and friendship, anticipation
Social: giving, conversation
Spiritual/Creative: Thinking of who to give the gift to, creating something beautiful and symbolic

Project: Bath Bags

Purpose: To give a gift, to enjoy products of garden
Materials: muslin, cotton, cheesecloth, linen, scissors, needle, thread, lavender, comfrey, Epsom salts, lavender oil
Procedure: Sew up bath bags by hand from muslin or cheesecloth (use needles with large eyes for ease of threading, note also that the dollar stores have ready made little bags for a $1 each). For a lavender bath, mix equal amounts of lavender blossoms, comfrey leaves, and Epsom salts, plus several drops of lavender oil

Therapeutic Value

Cognitive: structure of bath bag, measuring bag content amounts
Physical: stimulate sense of smell, feel the texture of the leaves, fine motor skills used for hand sewing
Emotional: using hand sewing skills used long ago
Social: reminisce last garden season using garden products
Spiritual/Creative: Thinking of who to give the gift to, creating something beautiful and useful

Submitted by Christine Pollard HTM