3 Tips for Gardening with Children – All Ages Welcome!
Posted by Urban Infant Team on
There’s something magical about planting seeds and watching them grow. Thankfully, you don’t need lots of special tools or tons of space to enjoy the benefits of gardening with your toddler. Whether you have an urban condo with a few pots on a porch or a large outdoor gardening backyard, all you need is soil, seeds, sunshine, and the willingness to get a little messy!
“The wonder of seeing a garden grow may spark your kids to ask questions like: Why do the plants need sun? How does the plant “drink” water? Why are worms good for the plants? Soon you will be talking about soil composition, photosynthesis and more!” according to Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH (Doctor Yum) and Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP the authors of "Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater: A Stage-by-Stage Guide to Setting Your Child on the Path to Adventurous Eating." Below are 3 easy tips to achieving a fun, colorful, and heathy growing season with toddlers.
Tip 1: Keep it Kid-Sized
You can empower your kids to work alongside you with a small watering can or plastic shovel of their own. If your child doesn’t like to get their hands dirty, a pair of kid-sized gardening gloves might encourage them to get more involved. If you want to go all-out, you can also get them bite-sized kids aprons.
Outdoor Tip: If you have the space, you can create a mini garden area that’s just for kids. This will encourage your child to experiment - and help you worry less about your own plants! You can mark off the area and encourage them to tend to their very own garden while you work beside them.
Indoor Tip: For indoor spaces, try labeling a pot or two with your child’s name. Help them learn to plant and water without worrying too much about what comes up in the end. They can always help you harvest your plants later on if needed.
Tip 2: Keep it Colorful
Who doesn’t get excited about watching flowers grow and bloom? Checking to see if any buds have opened yet is an easy and fun gardening “job” for the littlest of your helpers. Waiting for those colorful blossoms to appear can be tough, so be prepared for some to be picked a little too soon.
Outdoor Tip: If you have the space, plant a sunflower garden or spread wildflower seeds in one of the flower beds. You’ll be able to watch the sunflowers grow taller throughout the summer or spend some time picking bouquets of wildflowers together!
Indoor Tip: If you plan to grow some flowers indoors or in pots, you can pick blooms that provide lots of blossoms in small spaces. Marigolds and zinnias are popular choices for indoor growing because of their bright colors and abundant blooms.
Tip 3: Keep it Tasty
Growing vegetables can take a little longer than growing flowers, but the rewards are worth the wait. A vegetable garden will expose your child to different flavors and let them see how food grows. Your toddler may even surprise you with how good they are at harvesting veggies at the right time!
Outdoor Tip: Make sure to include some veggie choices your toddler is likely to enjoy. Veggies like carrots, tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers are easy choices that kids can taste-test right from the garden.
Indoor Tip: While you might not be growing any prize pumpkins, there are plenty of ways to make indoor gardening tasty! Tomatoes grow well in pots, and all kinds of herbs can be grown in the windowsill.
Spending time together tending to plants and getting your hands in the dirt can bring joy, learning, and fun to summer days with your little ones. Enjoy the process - and embrace the mess!