Since I was a young kid, I was always fascinated by gardening. I loved the idea of watching plants grow, then going out in late summer and picking what you knew you had grown! Lucky for me, my mom had made gardening easy to enjoy. I had not then realized the extra work she had put in to make me and my siblings early gardening experiences great. In this post, I would like to touch on three different ways that worked for us to get kids involved in and enjoying gardening.
Give kids their own garden bed -
By giving kids their own garden bed, you allow them to care for something of their own and reap the benefits while learning lessons of patience and responsibility. This is not only great for allowing your kid to take on some responsibility early, but also so they may pick and choose what sounds fun to grow and naturally learn the differences between each plant.
Grow plants kids can eat right away -
There were countless days in my childhood that I remember going out and snacking on things we had grown. It felt satisfying to know that I had grown food that I could eat freely. I have always liked to try new foods, especially fruits and vegetables. To this end, I give a lot of credit to gardening at a young age. Allowing your kids to eat what they grow will improve their health and keep them open-minded to trying new things as they get older. Some of our favorite plants to grow for this purpose were strawberries, rhubarb, tomatoes, raspberries, snap peas, kale, and lettuce.
Garden with friends -
The last, and perhaps most beneficial, way to garden is to do it with friends. Learning is always easier with friends and takes off the pressure of doing things on your own, especially as a kid. Whether you are learning about pollinators, playing in the dirt, looking for worms, or making crafts, everything is more memorable and enjoyable if you have a friend by your side.
