Tips for Gardening with Your Kids

If you are looking for a spring project that will engage your preschooler, start a garden together! Gardening is good for kids’ minds, hearts, and hands. Working in the dirt strengthens their cardiovascular and immune systems and fine motor skills. It also teaches them valuable lessons from the lifecycle of plants to how to be patient and responsible. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry! We’ve put together this list of tips for gardening with children for you.

Tips for Gardening with Your Kids

#1. Start with a small garden.

You don’t need to plant rows and rows of seeds with your kids. If you’ve never gardened before, it’s best to start small with a few easy-to-care-for plants. Your kids will learn the basics of gardening, whether they plant dozens of seeds in your yard or a handful of seeds in a window planter box.

To figure out what plants will be easiest to grow and how to care for them, check out this Growing Guide from KidsGardening.org! If you plan on using a window box planter, check out this list of plants that thrive in planters and how to care for them!

#2. Get them their own gardening tools.

Every gardener should have the four essential gardening tools: a trowel, transplanter, weeder, and a good set of gloves. Make sure your little gardener has their own set of child-size gardening tools to use as you work together.

#3. Choose crops they like.

Growing crops that kids like to eat makes gardening more exciting. Try to plant fruits or vegetables that they love like strawberries, peas, carrots, or beans. If your kids aren’t fans of any fruits or veggies right now, pick plants that grow quickly, like beans or lettuce. The speeding growth process will keep them engaged even if they aren’t excited about the harvest.

Another way to engage them is to pick a theme for your garden. You could grow a rainbow garden with fruits and vegetables of many colors. Or plant a pizza garden with tomatoes, basil, garlic, and peppers.

#4. Establish a routine.

Consistency is as important in gardening as it is parenting. Establish a routine for watering and weeding your garden with your little one. Your routine can be as simple as watering the plants every morning and weeding the garden once a week. Including your child in these 5 to 10-minute tasks will teach them responsibility.

#5. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

When your fruits and veggies are ripe, harvest them together! Wash them together in the kitchen. Let your kid help you make snacks or meals out of the fruits of your labor. This is a great time to chat with them about all they’ve learned and enjoyed gardening.

For in-depth gardening guidance, browse the wealth of resources at KidsGardening.org.

We hope these tips inspire you to start a garden with your kids at home! Planting seeds and tending plants will strengthen their fine motor skills as they soak up vitamin D. They will learn patience and responsibility as they care for their plants throughout the season. You may inspire a lifelong interest in science or conservation. The greatest benefit may be spending quality time together in nature.

Our team at Kids ‘R Kids Avalon Park has planted a Veggie Garden for our students. They love getting their hands dirty caring for the plants! Later on this season, we will be planting beans and a butterfly garden. If you’d like to learn more about our hands-on learning projects for preschoolers, schedule a tour!