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Gardening With Kids

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Looking for tips on gardening with kids?  You are in the right spot!

Spring time is our favorite time of year. The kids and I get so excited to start planing our seeds and begin working in the garden. We love to start our plants inside early and watch them grow. One thing that is really fun for the kids is to measure their growth each week.

gardening with kids

It is still very early in our planing season- in fact it snowed today… We have started plants indoors and they are making progress. We have also started a few early plants outside- peas, lettuce, onions, and kale are all just beginning to peek out above the soil. We really enjoy making our way around the yard to see what is growing and how much it has grown. There is something about the miracle of a seed sprouting each year that brings me & my kids such joy!
gardening with kids

Tips for Gardening with Kids

1.  Teach about seeds, plant parts, and the life cycle of different plants. This helps kids understand it all- it is a great science lesson!

2.  Let your kids help choose what to plant. My kids come with me and help me pick out the seeds we are going to plant each year. They get really excited about it since they are involved from the beginning. This also encourages them to eat the vegetables once they are grown!
3.  Let them help plant the seeds. Teach them about reading a seed packet: which planting zone are you in, how far apart should the seeds be planted, how deep, and what each type of plant needs.
4. Give them their own patch of ground to plant and care for!  If you have space, give them their very own square of yard to work with. It can really excite them and encourage them to work hard to keep their plants alive.
5. Let them help water and fertilize the plants. Make watering the garden their responsibility a few times each week. Get them their own watering cans. We made a fun Elephant Watering Can last summer.
6. Watch and track your plants together– see what they need as they are growing and track their growth. You could even keep a growth chart to see the change over time.  Check out my Garden Growth Chart post for more ideas on this and a printable chart!
7. Get them their own gardening supplies. Kid-sized shovels and gloves make them excited to come out and work with you- especially if they are in fun bright colors that they love.
8. Teach kids to weed! It’s a great skill for them to know, plus then they can help you. I remember my parents teaching me about getting out the whole weed so it doesn’t just grow right back.
9.  Let kids help with the harvest– this is the best part!  They can gather the produce that you have worked together on all Spring and Summer, then enjoy eating it with you.  There is nothing better than the first sweet berry, green bean, or tomato of the season. If you are growing flowers, let them put a vase of fresh cut flowers in their room or on the table.
This past week we have been enjoying studying about seeds. We have read some fun books. This is a perfect way to get kids excited about all of the seeds you are planting.
books about seeds
Oh Say Can You Say Seed? by Bonnie Worth
Once There Was a Seed by Judith Anderson and Mike Gordon
Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh
Anno’s Magic Seeds by Mitsumasa Anno
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

We have also been using the Calendar Connection Cards from 1+1+1=1 on botany this month in our homeschool. It has been a great thing to study this month since our little plants are sprouting! My kids have learned so much from them and they are a wonderful resource to add to your calendar boards!

Now go outside & get your hands dirty.  It is a wonderful feeling in the early spring!

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Comments

  4. Erica MomandKiddo says

    April 20, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    I love A Seed is Sleepy. Such great illustrations. Thanks for sharing at The Children’s Bookshelf

    Reply

  5. Alexis Tanner says

    April 23, 2013 at 10:10 pm

    I love gardening! My girls are 2 and 10 months, so they’re a little young. But I think my two year old will enjoy looking and collecting the veggies. And the books are great! I’ll need to find some at our library. Pinning this!

    Reply

  8. Jacquie Fisher says

    May 7, 2013 at 7:21 pm

    Great tips & I love your seed book recommendations. Thanks so much for sharing at Discover & Explore Gardening with Kids – we’re featuring your post today in our highlights from the linky!

    Reply

  9. LondonPlanters.co.uk says

    March 10, 2014 at 12:53 am

    You have written an excellent post Karyn. One of the exiting and meaningful way to spend time with kids is gardening with them. Doing so could improve their practical working skills and knowledge. I really appreciate the effort you took to put valuable resources such as books.

    Reply

  10. Diana Noonan says

    November 8, 2014 at 11:35 pm

    Hi, I’m a gardener and children’s author from New Zealand. I just want to say how much I enjoyed your blog and love what you are doing. Getting kids involved with gardening has got to be one of the most worthwhile things to do. Congratulations – keep it up!
    Diana Noonan
    garden4real@wordpress.com

    Reply

  11. Evelyn Jones says

    July 14, 2015 at 8:14 am

    Thank you for these wonderful tips! My girlie is three and she’s already so interested of the plants in our garden, of the seeds she finds here and there and what’s in the ground, that makes them grow. We have few books , but may be we should plant some seeds, so Ruby will be able to see the whole growing process. Your advices are so helpful.Greets!

    Reply

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