1 Sowing seeds
The best way to get started with your competition is to collect entry fees from interested community members in the spring term, usually a donation of £ 1. In return, help them put the petal to the metal by giving out starter packs containing sunflower seeds, plastic pots and some simple care instructions. If your participants have limited space, consider offering seeds for a smaller variety of sunflower that can be grown indoors – and make sure you take this into account when judging.
2 Timing is everything
In the UK, the best time to plant potted sunflowers is between March and April when the weather starts warming up, so it’ s best to distribute starter packs to your gardeners at the end of the spring term. After a few weeks, once the seedlings have grown too large for their pots, they’ ll need to be planted in larger pots or in a sunny area outside.
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3 Collecting entries
When you hand out starter packs, make it clear when and how you’ ll collect final entries. Sunflowers are at full bloom in August, so set a deadline at the start of the new term. It’ s usually easiest for entrants to send in photos and measurements of their sunflowers, but if everyone is local, consider asking them to bring their flowers to be judged in person at school. Make it your very own flower show to let your young gardeners display their fully-bloomed sunflowers and celebrate their hard work!
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4 Best in show
When it comes time to judging the sunflowers, help everyone get involved with different award categories. Rather than just awarding the biggest or tallest sunflower, have prizes for the brightest petals, most leaves and the best decorated pot. Once you’ ve collected the funds raised from your pupils, thank everyone for their support.
Share the winning gardeners and their flowers with your community in newsletters and on social media.
Once they start to wilt and turn brown, don’ t just throw out your sunflowers: cut off the heads, hang them up until the seeds dry out, and use them as birdseed for your garden!
Track the money raised from your sunflower growing competition with our free sunflower fundraising thermometer poster:
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Illustrations: Freepik |
PARENTKIND. ORG SPRING 2026 |