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Growing a garden with your preschooler is a great way to expose them to fruits and veggies in a low-pressure way. As a bonus, it is a lot of fun! Here is an easy gardening guide for you and your preschooler, including the best plants for kids and how to get them involved in gardening.
Start Small
You will need to decide if you will be putting the plants directly in the ground, using containers, or purchasing/building raised beds. Whatever you decide, start with a couple of vegetables, herbs, or fruits, and make your garden only a few square feet. You can always add more later!
Seeds or Seedlings
Choosing edible plants like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or squash can make gardening more fun. Arugula and radishes grow in only two to three weeks and often make good first plants. You will need to check and make sure what you choose is appropriate for your growing zone. You can certainly purchase seeds and start from the very beginning, but seedlings are a great option for beginning gardeners. They require no pre-planning, can be planted right away, and yield results quicker.
Soaking the Soil
Preschoolers typically love to water and water and water, because it is fun to get wet! However, depending on where you live, plants usually only need a little water in the morning or evening during the warmer months. Also, be careful that they do not water only in one spot or over-water the plants.
Science and Self-Confidence
Planting, growing, and eventually eating or enjoying things from the garden teaches preschoolers many valuable lessons. They use all five senses while gardening. They are also being introduced to botany, chemistry, and meteorology concepts. Encourage your preschooler to take responsibility for caring for the garden. Looking after a plant from seed to bloom can boost your preschooler’s self-confidence when they see what their hard work accomplished. This will instill gratification and self-confidence as their garden blossoms. Delayed gratification is a hard concept to teach little ones, but gardening helps them learn it. As a bonus, anything they grew themselves will taste better when freshly picked!
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