More than a dozen elementary school-aged kids were packed into the Children’s Area of the North Suffolk Library for the plant-centric activities of Tuesday afternoon’s “Discover! Gardening Fun!”

Suffolk Public Library Assistant Frances Jornov showed the kids a Velcro board with a cartoonish plant showing its basic parts beside its smiling necessities like rain and the sun. The kids then crowded tables to plant seeds and decorate “flower pot” cups with plenty of Sharpies and gardening soil.

“We try to have something that interests every child,” Jornov said about the variety of tabled activities.

Suffolk mother Amy Lurie brought her children Caleb, 6, and Aubrey, 4, for another fun and free summer activity at the library they frequent. The kids grabbed all the crayons they could to liven up their cheery paper plants.

“My flower is so cool,” Aubrey said as she held up her freshly-colored masterpiece.

With the smell of paint in the air, the kids finished their projects to take home and show the rest of their family. Jornov said the hour of garden activities is meant to provide summer education and social time with some education buried in it as well.

“It just gives them a place to come be with other children and take several projects home with them,” she said. “They like take-home stuff to say, ‘look what I did.’”

It’s the same reason Valerie McDowell brought her children Dean, 4, Allison, 6, and Lauren, 8. Her kids made artistic impressions on paper plates with celery, carrots and mushrooms dipped in paint. Lauren worked on a collage of flowers while she talked about peas, her favorite vegetable.

“I used to not like peas, but now I kinda do. I also like string beans,” she said as she dabbed more produce.

McDowell said she brings her kids to the library to have them spend time with other children, enjoy free activities and keep learning when school is out.

“My little ones are at home this summer and not in a normal summer camp, so this is a really good outlet to get them involved,” she said.

Registration is still open for the next “Discover!: Gardening Fun!” session set for 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at Morgan Memorial Library, 443 W. Washington St. There are 12 open slots left as of Friday. Register online at suffolkpubliclibrary.com.