It’s staying light later…and yesterday, it was almost 70 degrees here. I know what’s going to happen. It always does. The weather turns warm, I get suckered into planting something fun and colorful outdoors, and then we get a snowstorm that buries my flowers and a little bit of my soul under a foot and a half of snow. It’s an annual rite of spring.
When it’s finally time to plant here, the kids get to work, too. Studies show kids involved in planting their own veggies are more likely to eat them. The fresh air and exercise does all of us good. And also — free labor. Here are a few tips for gardening with kids.
1.) Get them their own tools. We like these Melissa and Doug Sunny Patch tools, but there are lots of other children’s gardening tools. And you don’t have to buy new — there’s a great selection on eBay, and you can check garage sales and thrift stores. Don’t go overboard — there are a ton of tools for gardening with kids, but really all they need is a watering can and a kid-sized shovel.
2.) Plant some things that grow quickly. I’m not a radish person. But every year we plant radishes because they’re one of the fastest growing veggies out there. Of course we plant other stuff as well, but little kids are impatient and need to see some progress. Radishes take about 30 days from seed to table…and they’re bright red and round and fun to pull. Win.
4.) Encourage their interests. I have one kid who likes playing in the dirt, planting seeds, and pulling up weeds (oh, and worms. Worms.) I have another research-loving kid who spent an hour planning out where things should go based on companion-planting and sun requirements. Another one likes picking the veggies and figuring out how to prep them for dinner. Figure out what they like to do and…well, let them do it.
5.) Read up on it! A few of our favorite books on gardening with kids:
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss — A classic. We love it.
My Garden by Kevin Henkes — I always like his books anyway, but this one sparks some fun conversations. What would you grow in your garden?
And one we’re in the middle of reading right now:
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Thanks for the tips. I’m planning on planting some veggies up over the next couple of weeks and am hoping Little Man will want to be involved. Thanks for sharing at the Outdoor Play Party 🙂
Hi Laura. Even though we’re in Autumn here in Australia, it never gets too cold not to be able to plant stuff all year around. This is great information. Thanks so much for linking up to Thriving on Thursdays. I’m featuring this at tomorrow’s party.
Anne @ Domesblissity xx
How fun! Dirt + growing a garden = happy kids and fun family time! Thanks so much for sharing on Makeovers & Motherhood’s Welcome Party Wednesday Link-Up! I’m including this as a bonus featured post this week and pinning it!
These are great tips!
Thank you for sharing these wonderful tips!
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
Great tips and book suggestions! I am featuring you tomorrow in After School round up.
Thank you so much for sharing with the Monday Pin It Party. I am hosting tomorrow and have chosen this as a featured post. There will be a shiny badge for you to grab if you wish! 🙂
Wow! I just found your blog through Buggy and Buddy on the linkup because your post title caught my eye. I just 5 Tips for Gardening with Kids on my blog too! Great minds think alike, right? How funny! Here’s mine if you want to see it http://lydiashandmadelife.blogspot.com/2014/03/gardening-with-young-children-5-ways-to.html
That watering can is gorgeous – looks so lovely! What great tips here, thanks so much. Cheers for linking up to the Parenting Pin it Party too xx
Lovely post, my girls love gardening and will use some of these tips. I have pinned this to Pinterest
Last year my daughter wanted to grow a pumpkin and it took over the whole vegetable patch. It’s great to get children involved in growing fruit and vegetables, homegrown taste so much nicer too 🙂 Jasper’s Beanstalk and Jack and the Beanstalk are great books to read to talk about growing vegetables.
I found you through the Mondays Parenting Pin-It Party! http://www.pinterest.com/cjfriess/
You grew pumpkins? I’m so jealous — we try every year and they don’t do well at ALL. I’m adding your books to our list!