Getting Kids to Help in the Garden

Children’s attitudes toward learning and the environment are improved as well as their physical and mental health when they garden. Aside from painting activities for children, gardening piques their interest, instills a sense of accomplishment in them, and exposes them to nutritious foods. Kids will gain from the nurturing experience of gardening for years to come, from helping you to mulch and pull weeds at age an early age to gaining activity as they get older, and interesting connections to science, math, and nutrition.

Know the Climate

Using the right plant in the right location at the right time is essential for gardening success. Understanding the crops appropriate to your region’s climate and the planting season is the first step in accomplishing that.

Check Out a Farm or a Farmer’s Market

Children gain an understanding of where their food comes from through home gardening. They can further their understanding and develop their respect for the earth and the farmers who toil to provide us with food by visiting a farm or farmer’s market.

Starting Small

You can teach your child about gardening without having a big yard. Because children are more likely to maintain interest and are less likely to become overwhelmed, small and simple is generally better. In cups set in a window with direct sunlight, grow beans or sunflowers. On your patio, cultivate a tomato plant in a pot. Or grow herbs in a window box. Use easy tasks like these to teach your child the fundamentals of gardening, including the importance of healthy soil, sunlight, and water. You can advance to a small vegetable or flower garden as your child gets older and shows more interest in gardening.

Portray Basic Gardening Tasks

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Modeling the tasks is the most effective way to teach children how to garden. So that they can imitate you, let them watch you water and plant. After allowing them to ask any questions they may have, let them try these fundamental gardening tasks on their own.

Buy Mini Gardening Tools

Providing kids with kid-friendly gardening tools is one of the simplest ways to get them involved in the garden. They can dig, weed, plant, and of course water in this manner. Kids will enjoy using their colorful gardening tools to get their hands dirty, and you’ll appreciate the extra assistance.

Show Them the Impact of Their Labor on the Garden

Neglected gardens are depressing to see. Make sure to draw attention to your garden when it starts to grow and blossom so that they can see it. They will be able to see the immediate results of their labor in this manner, which may motivate them to continue assisting with gardening chores.

Pick Interesting Plants

Based on his or her interests, allow your child to participate in choosing which plants to grow. Cherry tomatoes are a delicious snack option and typically bear fruit before larger tomatoes. Leafy vegetables can be harvested multiple times and grow quickly, like lettuce and spinach. For an early harvest, radishes, peas, and carrots can be planted in the spring. Consider quick-blooming annuals like snapdragons, marigolds, or petunias if your child has a thing for flowers.

Allow Them to Pick Out the Plants They Want to Grow

They will have the chance to learn about plants’ requirements thanks to this. Carrots, pumpkins, potatoes, and sunflowers are a few common options. Kids enjoy growing familiar plants. This is a great way to convince your child who doesn’t eat vegetables to give them a try. When kids grow their food, you’ll be surprised by what they’ll try.

Use the Right Tools

Children are no different from adults when it comes to needing a set of high-quality tools and gardening gloves. Give your child-sized shovel and hoe, as well as a tough pair of gloves, to your budding gardener.

Develop Positive Habits

Success in gardening, like many other areas of life, has more to do with consistency than it does with talent or good fortune. Your child should learn how to do the chores and put the tools away after use. Set aside one or two times per week for 15 to 20 minutes to tend to the garden. Teach your child how to water the garden and pull weeds. These encounters provide digestible organization and accountability lessons.

Give Them Space

Children enjoy digging in the dirt. Give them a private area to play in. Simple solutions like a small planter box or pot will do. Make sure there is plenty of room for children to enter the area, so they can water and weed.

Enjoy the Results of Your Efforts

When the vegetables they helped grow to end up on your dinner table, kids get to experience the food cycle firsthand. Have your kid assist you in the kitchen by putting together and cooking a delicious meal. Tomatoes and basil are used to make a Margherita pizza. Prepare carrots by cleaning them. For your cereal for breakfast, sliced strawberries. Even better, invite guests to the feast or donate any extra vegetables to a food pantry.

Check Out Other Gardening Tutorials Online

Numerous kid-friendly gardening videos, as well as simple gardening tasks and guides, are available online. Allowing kids to watch these videos will encourage them to imitate them. You might even want to document your gardening exploits on video.

Let Kids Explore

Give them the chance to go exploring. Let them explore the soil’s critters by digging around in the dirt. Children have a natural curiosity that aids in their learning. Allow them to experiment with various plant textures and scents before using the time to impart knowledge. You’d be surprised at how much data they can take in.

Being Patient

Be open and accepting. Some children may show interest right away before becoming uninterested 15 minutes later. Sometimes a quick watering session can develop into an unplanned water park with sprinklers. Never worry about it. Always remember that you want to create a memorable experience. Even if they do not continue their love of gardening in the future, they will look back and remember the enjoyable times spent in the garden with the family.