A Handful of Gardening Tips to Keep Kids Involved With the Growing Process
If you’re like most parents, you care about feeding your family nutritious and healthful foods. You want to set your kids up for a lifetime of healthy eating. Stocking the kitchen pantry and fridge with the right foods is a great place to start, but you can also lay some literal groundwork outside – in the garden. Here are some of our favorite gardening tips for keeping kids digging in the dirt and learning about growing their own food.
1. Start Early
Start early in the year, yes, but also start early in your children’s lives. Even small children can enjoy working their own small plot of ground. Don’t give them too much space to manage but children who have their “own” plot will often rise to the occasion. Of course, you can step in and help with weeding as needed. Find a bright, sunny spot in the yard and let them know that the section is under their management.
2. Choose Wisely
Kids thrive on success so help them choose plants which will grow well in your area. Cucumbers and zucchini tend to grow well without too much attention and so make great starter plants. If your kids don’t LOVE tomatoes why not try a cherry tomato plant and see if they don’t get excited watching as the fruit ripens? Fall pumpkins are fun and keep the garden interesting to kids into autumn.
3. Use What They Grow
Maybe you give your little ones just a couple of potted herb plants at the beginning. Then have them harvest them and see you use what they grow in the kitchen.
Chief among all gardening tips is to let the kids enjoy the fruits of their labors. If they grow cucumbers or zucchini, look for a variety of ways to prepare and serve them. If their plant produces abundantly they can share with a neighbor or family member.
4. Have Kids Label Each Plant
Kids do enjoy learning – especially when it’s a hands-on lesson. Talk about plants that grow above the soil and under the soil. Talk about how sunshine feeds plant growth. Discuss competition for food and water as you help little hands remove weeds. To help them pull weeds and not plants, have them label each plant as they put it into the ground. This will also give them a sense of pride when showing others their private patch.
At Kincaid Plant Markers we enjoy sharing gardening tips to promote “family gardening” because it’s something that we ourselves have enjoyed as a family. We think that getting kids involved will be a great opportunity to bond with your kids, to promote healthy eating and to teach many valuable lessons. Whether you have a lot of space or just a little, don’t miss the chance to share the wonders of gardening with children.
