Vegetable Gardening with Kids is really simple to do.
I cannot think of a better way to get kids to eat their vegetables as well!
Vegetable Gardening with Kids
This is a simple guide for vegetable gardening with children.
While they may not be able to do everything, children can be helpful with growing vegetables.
Did you see my article about Environmental Issues for Kids?
That article includes many ideas for helping children get interesting in the environment around them.
Many of the ideas from that article may be related to this article for vegetable gardens as well.
Are looking for gardening tools in kid sizes? You can find a selection of gardening tools for kids here.
You may be wondering what are the benefits of gardening for children.
There really so much that anyone can learn from gardening.
Appreciation for the earth and the food that can be grown from it, is especially important.
However, there are also some important benefits from vegetable gardening when it comes to children.
Children can learn about where food comes from and how to grow it.
There is also a sense of accomplishment when the food is harvested.
People ask how do I start a kids garden?
I would suggest that you begin by researching age appropriate ways for your child.
This will help you figure out expectations.
There are five steps to vegetable gardening with children.
- Make a plan.
- Decide where your garden will be located.
- Select plants.
- Prepare the soil and plant.
- Maintain and harvest the vegetables.
Tips for gardening with children.
Involve the child with the planning of the gardening plan.
Their input, whether small or big, can be their motivation.
More tips for you.
- Make is easy for a child to understand. You can do this by making things simple.
- Allow children to plan out some aspect of the garden itself. This can include shopping for plants.
- Consider allotting a portion of the garden as the kids-area. This can be a separate spot that is just for kids to plant and maintain a garden.
Make a plan for a kids vegetable garden.
Plan out where the garden will go and how big it will be.
You can also make a budget.
Make a schedule for getting out in the garden.
Schedule out when you will get the garden started.
Also, when you will purchase the plants for planting.
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You may also be interested in these ideas.
Deciding where to place a kids vegetable garden.
A container garden could be a good idea if you are short on space.
It is also an idea for giving a child their own space for a garden.
For backyard gardening you do not need a lot of space.
If the child is old enough, they can simple share your garden space and help with tasks.
Younger children may do well with a small area that is about a square yard.
Easy vegetable for kids to grow.
Kids like to grow things that they are familiar with.
They especially enjoy plants that grow fast, are something they would eat, and plants that they can easily take care of and harvest.
Here are some popular choices for plants kids can grow.
- Snap Peas- kids like to pick them and break them open.
- Pumpkins- they can grow and decorate after harvesting.
- Small tomatoes such as cherry tomatoes- they can pick and eat these.
- And while not a vegetable, I must say that the Sunflower Seeds was always popular choice in my home (and is great for show and tell!).
Preparing the garden, tasks kids can help with.
The tasks that kids can do really can depend upon their age.
However, there are some tasks that kids of most ages can do to help get a garden started.
What kids can do to prepare a garden.
- Help clean out the area by picking up garbage, pulling weeds, and raking leaves.
- Adding compost to the garden soil is an excellent way to learn about composting.
- Digging holes in the ground using a garden shovel for kids.
How kids can help maintain and harvest a garden.
Kids really tend to excited when they watch something that they planted grow.
Then there is the sense of accomplishment when what they planted gets harvested.
Increasingly challenging tasks to teach a child could include how to thin out plants, pinch back growth, recognize the good and bad garden bugs, or learn about composting. Weeding is something that most children will not come to enjoy; I know that from my own experience. However, you should show them how easy it is to pull the weeds.
Here are some ways that kids can help maintain and harvest a garden.
- Making sure that the plants get watered properly as needed.
- Pulling weeds.
- Observing pollinators in flowers.
- Monitoring growth of the plants and what may need to be done (trimming etc).
- Kids can help harvest food when ready. Then they can rinse the food off with water to clean it.
Tools, supplies that kids may need to garden.
To begin with, a child gardener should have at least a shovel, a rake, and a trowel. Also, it is advisable to have gardening gloves and a sun hat to protect children from the elements.
Vegetable Gardening with Kids, a simple guide for teaching children how to grow delicious and healthy food they can eat.
