Children are natural gardeners.
They're curious, like to learn by doing, and
love to play in the dirt.
Working in a garden, a child can experience the satisfaction that comes from caring for something over time and observe the cycle of life firsthand.
Gardening is also a great way to teach environmental awareness by exploring the workings of nature.
what to plant - top 10 crops for children
Our children were involved with gardening from an early age, and it was gratifying to watch their interest and self-esteem grow as their gardening efforts yielded good results. Although there are many crops suitable for the young gardener, here are our "top 10", which are relatively easy to grow, have short growing seasons and are fun to harvest.
sunflower
A must for a child's garden. Plant just one or two, since they take a
lot of room. Sunflowers will sprout in 1 week, become a small seedling
in 2 weeks, and should be 2' tall in a month. In 8 weeks, the buds will
flower revealing hundreds of seed kernels. Be sure to gorw 'confectionery'
sunflowers, the type grown for food. They will dry naturally in the late
summer sun; the seeds, rich in protein and iron, can be roasted for snacks.
Save a few for next summers' planting.
lettuce/mescluns
A quick and reliable crop to give the child fast results, and also a good
way to interest kids in salads. Lettuce likes part shade; keep soil moist
especially during the first two weeks. The seeds will germinate in 7-10
days; growing season is 40-50 days. You can grow 'head' (space 8"
apart) or 'leaf' (space 4" apart) varieties; the leaf varieties will
mature sooner, about 30-35 days.
radishes
Quick results for the young gardener. Radishes germinate in 3-10 days,
and have a very short growing season of 20-30 days. They can be planted
closely, 4-6" apart. Plant in cool weather for a mild radish, or
hot weather for a hotter radish.
snow
peas
A quick-growing early crop, and fun for kids to eat right off the vine.
They take about 10 days to germinate and mature in about 60 days. Peas
prefer cooler, partially shaded locations in the garden; they should be
sown closely, about 1" apart at most. Snow peas are popular because
the pod is edible and since they are a dwarf plant they can be grown without
a trellis.
cherry
tomatoes
Gotta have 'em! These may be the most fun crop for a child, aside from strawberries.
Plant in full sun and use seedlings rather than planting from seed. Put in
a 2' stake alongside each seedling; they need to be tied loosely to stakes
as they get taller. Add lots of compost. Water at ground level, trying to
keep leaves dry. Growing season is 50-75 days. Cherry tomatoes can also be
grown in containers.
Child's Wheelbarrow
Our children deserve the best gardening tools. Here's a beautiful, sturdy
wheelbarrow you can build yourself. This project is also a great parent/child
activity. Click here for the plans.
nasturtiums
These flowers are easy to grow and yield results quickly, which encourages
the young gardener. Nasturtiums bloom about 50 days after the seeds are
planted, with orange, yellow and red flowers. They prefer sunny, dry locations
and do well in poor soil. Choose the shorter varieties for garden beds.
Nasturtiums are also pest resistant, which ensures a successful planting.
The flowers are also edible, and can be used to add colour to a fresh
garden salad.
bush
beans
Fast, easy, high yield and fun to harvest. Bush beans germinate in 4-8
days, and mature in 40-65 days. Plant closely spaced, about 4' apart.
Grow in direct sun; water the soil but try to keep the leaves dry. Bush
beans don't need poles or trellises to grow.
carrots
Seeds can be sown directly into soil; carrots prefer cooler temperatures.
They can be slow to germinate, so be patient. Carrots will mature in about
60 days.The soil should be free of rocks and easy for the carot to grow
'down'. Keep well-watered and thin to every 3" because crowding will
produce foliage but no root. Small varieties are recommended for children,
as they're easier to grow and more fun to eat.
potatoes
A 'never-fail' crop. You can plant red or white varieties; red will mature
faster. Children seem to favor the red variety. Cut seed potatoes into
chunks with at least 2 'eyes' per. Plant in furrows, about 12-15"
apart, with eyes pointing upward. Mound soil up around plant as it grows;
harvest when plant collapses.
pumpkin
A 'must' for a child's garden, if you have the room. Plant seeds in a small
hill; poke three holes in the hill and put one seed in each hole. Seeds will
sprout in about 1 week; after a few days, vine leaves begin to form and creep
along the ground. Once there are 3 pumpkins on the vine, pick off any new
blossoms. Pumpkins take 80 - 120 days to harvest: it's ready when it feels
hard on the outside and sounds hollow when tapped. Let an adult supervise
the cutting, using shears. Seeds can be dried to eat, or save for future planting.
The meat can be used for pies, and the pumpkin for carving.
other
crops our children have tried, but had mixed results:
corn - a heavy
feeder, corn needs lots of compost or fertilizer. If the plants aren't
'knee high by the 4th of July', the ears will be small. In our garden,
either the crows got the seedlings, or the plants just never got big enough
to yield a good harvest.
green onions -
easy to grow, but not all that exciting.
zucchini
- easy, fast, and impressive size but it takes a good recipe
to excite the young ones.
strawberries -
great, but can be a struggle with the predators. We chose the 'ever-bearing'
varieties which bear all summer. Netting the plants from the birds and
raccoons, however, was a constant chore which the young children often
forgot. Birds caught in the netting was never fun.
watermelon - similar
to pumpkins to grow. They have to be well grown to be large and tasty;
in our experience, the fruit was smaller than expected and not very sweet.
We prefer to give the space to pumpkins.
Tips for gardening with children
Give
them their own garden beds.
Whether you use raised beds, containers or ground plots,
be sure to give each child his or her own separate plot. Keep it small,
very small for young kids. Put their plots right in the middle of the
action, with the best soil and light. Set them up for success.
Reuse the sandbox. If your children have grown past
their sandbox years, consider converting the old sandbox to a garden bed.
This gives the child continued 'ownership' of a familiar space and encourages
a sense of responsibility to the gardening project.
Give them serious tools. Cheap plastic child's gardening tools are worse than no tools at all; they break easily and frustrate the user. It can be hard to locate good tools for kids, especially work gloves that fit a small hand. Let them use your tools if need be; in this way you're acknowledging the importance of the work they're doing.
Engage
them through the entire process, from seed to table. Children
learn better when they understand the context of their activity. They
will learn that gardening can be fun, but far more than idle play; they
are contributing to the family well-being. Besides planting and nurturing
their garden beds, be sure they alone do the harvesting and preparation
of their crop for the table, no matter how modest the offering.
Start from seeds. While it's a convenient
shortcut to buy starters, children will learn more by seeing the growing
process as it begins with seeds. The care given to sprouting seeds and
nurturing the young seedling are a valuable part of the gardening experience.
Cheat a little. Depending on the
age of the child, you may need to help out a little 'behind the scene'.
Not every garden task is pleasant, and the child may not be ready at all
times for all chores. You may need to go out in the evening to pick a
few slugs off the lettuce, or be the one to run out and move the sprinkler.
They don't have to know about every little help you offer - the child's
'ownership' of the plot is the main thing.
When all else fails, make a scarecrow. The best time to engage children in gardening is when they're in the mood for this activity. If their attention wanes, or the garden tasks become boring, let them build a scarecrow. This activity is still a contribution to the gardening effort and adds another layer of interest to the garden scene. It also reminds the child of the importance of the crop.
Show
off their work.
When giving 'garden tours' to friends, be sure to point out the children's
beds. Take a photo of their harvest and send it to the grandparents. The
attention given to their work is the best motivator for children to stay
involved with a project.
The
Great Plant Escape
- this is a great primer on gardening written for children; follow the
clues and learn the plant growing basics.
My First Garden
- a wonderful site from the University of Illinois Extension Service.
All you need to know about getting started with your first garden in a
fun and kid-friendly way.
The Adventure of Herman
the Worm - Activities, games, and linfo.
KinderGARDEN
- Has many links and resources for teaching children about gardening.
Check out the fun page and the book list.
Pumpkin Circle - Educational pumpking-growing
activities for kids for home or school.
The Kids Garden - Creative children's gardening ideas from the UK
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