Getting kids involved in housework is a good way to teach them responsibility and other important life skills. We know that often, housework needs to be disguised as a creative project in order to get them interested. The sensory nature of gardening makes it an activity any kid will be eager to jump into as they get to touch and smell a variety of different, brightly colored plants.
While there are may be many indoor tasks that aren’t exactly efficient to include your kids in, gardening is a great way to involve your kids in something you’re doing while getting them interested in healthy, fresh food - and it doesn’t matter if they make a mess! This spring, let your kids get elbow deep in dirt while they help you plant your garden.
Draw a plan.
The first step to any garden is planning.
At the end of winter, have your kids help you draw up a garden plan for spring. Have them start with what they know is already there, from the deck and outdoor lights to their swing set. Next, have them design how the garden will look. If you already have plant beds or a specific part of your yard that you use for gardening, draw that in as a border shape for them to color in with their favorite plants.
Ask your kids what they would like to plant. You can even take them with you to choose seeds or explore the produce section in the grocery store to see what catches their eye. The colors and textures of certain vegetables could interest them in growing and eating more of them!
When you’re ready to start planting your garden, start the seeds off in fun egghead pots. Save egg shells and cartons for as many as you think you will need. Glue googly eyes onto each shell to give them a face. Have your child fill them with dirt and plant a seed or two in each egg before topping them with a little water. An eyedropper or spray bottle make good water tools for children so they don’t accidentally over water. Place your seeds in a sunny spot and have your child water them and check on their growth every day.
When your seedlings are ready to plant, all you have to do is remove the eyes and crush the eggshell a bit and you can plant the whole thing right in your garden!
After you plant your seeds, you’ll want to help your child identify which plants are which as they continue to grow. A fun way to help keep the various crops straight is to have your child paint stone markers for each row. They can either paint the word for the plant or paint a drawing of them. For really small children, you can even just have them use the color of the fruit or vegetable that will eventually grow.
Using creative visuals will help get your child excited about gardening, as well as about eating the fruits (or vegetables) of their labour. A rainbow garden can be especially intriguing to children as they watch the colors come in before their eyes! Plant rows of fruits, vegetables and herbs in each colour of the rainbow. Two rows of each color might work best to make sure each color is distinct.
Another fun and creative way to get your kids excited about gardening is to make a pizza garden. Map out a circle divided into quarters using stones. In each “slice” plant an ingredient for pizza such as tomatoes, oregano, basil, capsicums and any other toppings your family typically uses. There are few things kids love more than pizza, so they will be psyched about basically growing their own pizza.
Get your kids outdoors and let them get their hands dirty this spring!
They’ll learn to love fresh produce and learn some useful skills, all while helping you with your gardening work.