Milk Jug Watering Cans

Children are fascinated from a young age with filling and emptying, be it your purse, kitchen cupboards or board games. The sandbox or bath time are favorite past times for this very reason, plenty of opportunity to empty and fill over and over. So it is no surprise really then that when I recently purchased myself a new garden watering can (the dog chewed the last one) that with four kids we had watering can war. (I really should have thought that one through.) But really not wanting to go out and buy four watering cans I decided to make some, plus that gave us an afternoons activity rolled in.

You will need:

Milk Jug (Ours were gallon but the half gallon with a handle might be easier for smaller children to manage)
Needle
Flame (Fire starter or match)
Hot glue gun or super glue (If lid is clip on)
Sharpies for decorating

Step 1

This step is definitely an adult only step. If your milk jug has a clip on lid begin by gluing it in place, we did this with hot glue around the edges.

Now take a needle and warm one end of it in a flame until it is red hot, now use the hot end to pierce the lid multiple times. You may need to leave the needle in each hole and wiggle it a little to make a hole bigger. We had to reheat the needle a few times in the process os making all the holes.

Step 2

Cut a small hole under the handle through which you will fill up with water.

Step 3

Now I handed it over to the boys for the very important job of decorating. We used sharpies, but stickers, duct tape, water proof paint would all work.

Step 4

Now despite the already very wet flower beds from the mornings rain we had to test them out. So we watered,

And watered,

And refill please,

And watered

Just a little more...

These were a big hit, four refills later my garden was well and truly soaked and now they can all help me water with no more fights. Plus if our crazy dog who you see in the last picture does destroy another watering can (highly likely) we can stick it in recycling and make another.