Gardening with small children

[gudrin]

So, I have a (soon to be) two year old daughter. This Easter she's getting her own little plastic trowel and mini-rake thingy (so technical, right?). I'd really like to introduce her to gardening. Last year she had all kinds of fun following me around the yard and the garden and trying to do what I was doing.

Do you think I can give her a little garden spot of her own with some easy to grow stuff in it, or is she still too young? Or should I just give her a garden spot to just dig in for now? Or should she just follow me around again for this year and then try something next year? I'm just not too sure as to how I should work this.

Thanks for any advice!
Beth

 

[me&thegals]

Ohhhhh, one of my favorite subjects! I think getting kids into gardening ASAP is a terrific way to hook them on something you love and get them eating fruits and veggies. It is NOT without frustration, obviously. It took mine quite a while to get the concept of walking around the garden beds and in the aisles instead of compacting the places where seeds were supposed to grow!

I give my kids a little plot of ground every year for their own garden, let them pick out 1-2 of their own choices of seeds (like horned melons this year for one and 160-lb watermelons for the other) and have up to 18 types of my seeds. They start them inside in eggshells filled with dirt, so they're good for months of fascination Then, they transplant in spring and are responsible for their own little plot. It gets way weedy, but they were SO PROUD last year when I needed their broccoli for the family meal since mine wasn't doing so hot.

So, get kids involved! It's also helpful to have their little plot on the edge of the garden so they don't need to trample all your plants to get to it And it is SO useful to have kids who love gardening when you want to spend time with them and yet have a ton of weeding or picking to do!

And, this is something so innate--I believe--in all of us. Kids just LOVE playing in the dirt, discovering bugs and messing around. I had to bite my tongue as my son re-transplanted his plants about 10 times, getting everything just right. And, dognabit, they actually grew!

Ok--taking a breath now

me&thegals

 

[momofdrew]

all of the above let her dig and get dirty... let her plant her own squash or pumpkin... BIG seeds easy for little fingers and let her follow you around with her own watering can and she can water her garden...
when my son was three he helped plant a pumpkin patch and then he would water it... well we got one 150# pumpkin that went to the fair and won him a blue ribbon he was thrilled...he has kept an interest in gardening since...

 

[me&thegals]

What a cool story, momof drew! That's why I let my kids spend more $ than actually necessary to pick out really cool things that we may not even eat If it's really awesome to them, they will be hooked!

 

[setter4]

Don't forget a BIG basket that she can use to haul stuff from the garden to the house.

 

[bid]

Oh definitely let her have a little space of her own. Squash, like a summer variety, would be a good choice because it's so prolific. But some easy flowers like marigolds, pansies or zinnias would be nice too. Maybe some easy herbs for the smell sensation? Basil is easy and smells wonderfull too. Oh and she's got to have a tomato plant. lol I better stop or she will end up with the whole garden area.

 

[me&thegals]

My daughter really enjoyed striped marigolds last year. Super easy to grow, huge and prolific. My niece and nephew ate themselves silly on cherry tomatoes, another really fun one for teeny gardeners

 

[vfem]

Oh hooray! I'm in the same boat as you.

My daughter will be 2 in March, and oh how she loves to mimic what I'm doing with my plants. We started her out inside by showing her the seeds and plants that I've got going here in pots and letting her water them with her ducky watering can.

We went out last month and planted our cool season veggies: spinach, lettuce, radishes and carrots. I poked the holes in the soil and handed her the seeds one at a time. She picked it and put it in the hole. She had so much fun. She didn't get sick of it or act out. She was extremely gentle with each seed. I covered the holes, and she patted each one to make sure it was covered and I gave her the watering can to soak everything.

My husband is building 2 more raised beds for her next to her playhouse so she can have her own sunflower garden. I bought her 3 types of seeds. We practiced by starting 12 seeds of her's inside, and I'll let her plant the rest outside. (Those 12 are our back up plants if the rest don't come up or the birds eat them.) Now she can watch her own garden grow.

She had plastic tool I bought her last year, they were just beach stuff. This year I'm getting her a whole kid's set with gloves from Walmart. Its great for the kids because they can get dirty and being involved each day to realize for the first time at that age that things grow when they care for them.

(She goes and pets and smells our plant set up inside everyday when we water them. Its nice to see her stiff them and say "ahhhhhh".)

BTW:

 

[homesteadmom]

My dd who will be 3 in May, loved to pull the green tomatoes to feed to the chickens last yr & pulled a few other essential plants while ds & I were pulling weeds!!!! So I basically just let her dig in one spot. I am hoping this yr will be better & different for her & no trampling the plants either. When ds#2 was 2 he "helped" me pull weeds, it was my okra plants he was pulling up!!!!!!!

 

[vfem]

My dd who will be 3 in May, loved to pull the green tomatoes to feed to the chickens last yr & pulled a few other essential plants while ds & I were pulling weeds!!!! So I basically just let her dig in one spot. I am hoping this yr will be better & different for her & no trampling the plants either. When ds#2 was 2 he "helped" me pull weeds, it was my okra plants he was pulling up!!!!!!!

LOL.... but they are so cute doing it!