Things You'll Need:
- Kids
- Dirt
- Seeds
- Water
- Love
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Step 1
Start simple. Select a small area, about a 4-by-4 foot section of your yard, and designate that as your new garden.
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Step 2
Let your child help you turn over the soil and add peat, lime or other soil improvements. Kid-sized tools and gardening gloves will make this easier and more fun.
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Step 3
Plant seeds. Chose large, fast-growing seeds like sunflowers, birdhouse gourds, peas and corn. Keep in mind that all seeds will not germinate, so be sure to plant 2 to 3 seeds in each hole. If you will be planting things like lettuce and carrots, keep in mind these are very small seeds and may be difficult for young hands to plant correctly.
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Step 4
Water your garden every few days to ensure the seeds will sprout. This can double as a run through the sprinkler on a hot day. Of course if you've had decent rain, do this less often.
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Step 5
Ask the kids help with the work. Picking lettuce for the evening meal's salad is not a chore for a 6 year old, and pulling weeds for a weed-tossing contest is downright fun.
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Step 6
Have fun watching your garden and children grow. Many seed packages come with all sorts of instructions on them, but simplify these rules and be flexible when gardening with kids. Always keep it fun to instill the love of gardening and ensure a bountiful harvest for the kids to enjoy.
Comments
SensitivePlant said
on 8/6/2008 This is a great article. I believe the growing of a TickleMe Plant from seeds makes kids more sensitive to plants and nature. I found my supplies at www.TickleMePlant.com and have been a fan of TickleMe Plants since. Seeing a real plant MOVE when tickled is so amazing.