Ideas for Getting Kids in the Garden – GWC Mag

The world is changing, and more and more we are realizing the need to learn basic skills like how to grow food (or even where food comes from). Many adults are having to do this for the first time, and they are shocked by the simplicity, empowerment, and health benefits of having home gardens.

Many parents are hoping to give their children a strong foundation in the garden. This can sometimes be a challenge amidst the video games, social media, and touchscreens of the day. How exactly are we supposed to get our kids out into the garden, heat, bugs, and dirt? And, vegetables to boot!

Well, it always helps to start at a young age, building the interest when kids are into doing whatever mom(s) and/or dad(s) are doing. It also helps to make it fun and empowering for the kids, too. There are loads of great ideas for getting kids into the garden.

Play in the dirt

For young kids, working in the garden is an opportunity to play in the dirt without upsetting adults. Lots of the tasks in the garden are all that different from or can be modified to be like building sandcastles at the beach.

Lots of vegetables grow well when planted in mounds that young kids might love to build. It may be one mound to mom’s five, but at least it’s a youngster in the garden learning about growing and ultimately eating healthy food.

Sow quick-growing plants together

One of the tough parts of growing vegetable gardens for kids and adults alike is that many vegetables take a long time before they produce any food. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and green beans are going to require at least a couple of months of waiting.

To keep the garden exciting, it’s important to include some quick-growing plants. There are several leafy greens and other vegetables that can be produced in under 60 days.

Make special spaces

It’s a wonderful idea to make special spaces for kids to have their own crops to look after. A clever way to do this is the square-foot garden model where beds are divided into square-foot spaces with very prescribed patterns and numbers of seeds to plant in each space. When a kid gets to tell grandparents or visitors that he/she/they grew that, they will love it.

Give them “chores”

Nothing motivates younger kids like being a grown-up, so giving them little chores (or having them help with chores) every day makes the garden a fun place to be. When they get a little older, an allowance for doing gardening tasks can help. Soon enough, they’ll know how to do everything in the garden. Voila!

Get some tools

Kids love tools, especially tools that look just like what parents are using. It’s possible to get an inexpensive set of hand gardening tools and some gloves to make the kit a kid out. They can keep their equipment right next to mom and dad’s so that they are ready to roll. It could also be a way to teach your little pal how to take care of stuff.

Work as a team

It’s a great idea to make tending the garden a thing. Set a nice time, say before (great for harvesting something to eat) or after dinner (great for being a bit cooler) to go out together to pull a few weeds, check the plants, and see what’s happening. Including the family, making a routine appeal to kids, and setting an expectation/anticipation for what’s to come.

Curb the pressure

One of the most important aspects of getting kids into the garden is keeping them there, and the best way to do that is to keep expectations in check. It’s important to not put too much pressure on a youngster to grind out the garden. In the beginning, it has to be something fun, with plenty of space for play and exploration.

As time progresses, kids can pick up a bit more responsibility, and they’ll love being acknowledged for whatever effort they give. Pointing out what they haven’t done will likely cause them to be less and less interested in the garden.

Getting kids in the garden is a great way to create a healthy relationship between them and food and nature. It’s also a great way to build up their confidence and make them more capable adolescents and adults. It’s also a perfect activity for spending quality time together as a family.

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