Gardening for Kids

Gardening for kids is really very simple, helps them to learn about plants, the soil, bugs, and is an enjoyable activity for them to perform.

Some of my earliest childhood memories stem from growing my own little garden with my sister.

My first project consisted in planting some morning glories along our fence line. It was so much fun to watch them as they came up and started climbing the fence. Of course I thought that they were the most beautiful plant that I had ever seen. :)

When I got a little older, my mother allowed my sister and I to have a small plot in our garden where we could plant our own flowers. We planted zinnias, cosmos, and marigolds all from seeds and would then water them every day and weed around the plants.

We would also take care of the tomato plants that my mom planted. Picking off the cherry tomatoes and popping them into our mouths was definitely a favorite part of summer.

What does Gardening Teach Children?

The values that are taught through gardening are priceless:

Responsibility - Kids have to learn to take care of their plants by watering them and weeding around them otherwise, the plants will die.

Gentleness - They will need to be gentle with the plants if they expect them to bear fruit.

Patience – the children will learn that plants don’t just sprout up overnight but take several weeks before they start peeking up through the ground.

Hard Work – Gardening is not the easiest of work. It must be done in all types of weather, the rain, the heat and humidity, the hot sun. Children will learn that it is good to work hard and to stay busy.

Respect – Children will learn to respect the plants and the different needs of the plants while also learning to respect people, animals, and property and possessions.

Gardening for kids is a wonderful way to teach kids good values and ways of life that will be ingrained in them forever after and helps form them into good adults with good habits.

14 Different Plants for Kids to Garden with

If you are planting a large garden, what kinds of fruits and vegetables should you plant in it?

1. Cherry Tomatoes - a fun plant to grow and eat! They are small enough for kids to pop them in their mouths and taste the sweetness of summer.

2. Zucchini - super easy to grow and they can be made into some pretty tasty bread that the kids can help you make.

3. Lettuce - start this when the weather is cooler. So, early spring or late fall makes for perfect lettuce planting time.

4. Carrots - plant these from seed and when they just start to peek up out of the dirt they are ready to be picked.

5. Radishes - a tangy vegetable to throw in your salads and super easy for kids to grow.

6. Marigolds - a beautiful, golden flower, perfect for your summer bouquets. Plant them as a seed for some extra fun.

7. Zinnias - magnificently colorful, tall and stately. These are a children's favorite because they perform so well with minimal effort. Also, they make some amazing bouquets to give to family and friends.

8. Cosmos - Very wispy flowers that kids will enjoy planting. They also make some amazing bouquets but don't last quite as long as the zinnia.

9. Cucumbers - crunchy, long, and another easy to grow plant for kid's gardening adventures.

10. Pumpkins - plant some pumpkin seeds so that you can have beautiful pumpkins come the fall.

11. Broccoli - a little bit challenging to grow if the bugs get to it. However, it is so much tastier than the broccoli at your local grocery store.

12. Green Beans - they can be plentiful so be prepared. But they are super easy to grow and the kids will have fun eating them straight from the vine.

13. Sunflowers - plant sunflowers in a wide space to create a house so that when they grow the kids can play in them.

14. Pansies - buy them at your local nursery and have your children plant them and nurture them along throughout the summer.

Pick up some Gardening Gloves

Despite the fact that gardening gloves make kids more enthusiastic about gardening, they do actually have a purpose and are good for kids to wear in the garden.

Gardening gloves are good to wear because they keep little hands clean. Mud and dirt are everywhere in a garden and kids already have a hard enough time keeping themselves clean so, purchasing them some gardening gloves will not only help them but you also!

If you have lots of neighborhood cats that roam around, they might be doing some of their business in the garden so it’s always a good thing for kids gardening gloves. Where we live, the neighborhood cats are actually quite a problem and I wouldn’t even dream of going without my gloves.

Lots of plants have prickly things on them that kids don’t like to touch and feel. If anything prickly comes in the way of kids, they get scratches and ouchies and start to cry and whine because they’ve been hurt. Gardening gloves are a great way to prevent the tears from flowing.

Without gardening gloves, kids are more apt to get splinters. Splinters and kids are like magnets and without some gloves to protect their hands while gardening, they will definitely probably end up with at least one or two in their hands.

So, with these points in minds you might really want to pick up your child some gardening gloves. They don’t even have to be very expensive gloves but just something that will help protect them for the most part.

Some kids might need just a little bit of encouragement when it comes to gardening – yes it can be hot and humid, a little bit muddy but if you as a parent or child caregiver, encourage and support a child in the realm of gardening, they will be much more likely to take the support and run with it.

Gardening for kids is a good, wholesome activity that every child should have the opportunity to do.

Also, it can be a fun activity for the whole family to work on together!

Wishing you many happy days of gardening!