How To Garden With Preschoolers

Gardening is a great pastime to pass onto your children. It saves money, and gives them a hobby. We have a garden that we plant each year and I try to make it kid friendly. There are not a lot of delicate plants to squash because as we all know little kids are not careful. In my time I have lost one or more plants to little, quick feet.

Teaching kids to plant, weed, and water a garden can be a great learning experience. Why? Well, if they are like my boys…one there is dirt involved and two they get to dig in the dirt! My favorite “teaching” plants to grow are sturdy and inexpensive like tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, strawberries, and cucumbers.

What To Plant

Not every plant is a good idea. Teaching children that gardening involves planning is a very important step. Let kids know each step of the planning process. I teach my kids by deciding what veggies we will plant that we can eat later by canning. I remind them of the recipes they love like salsa, spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce. A real easy plant to start with is a Tomato plant.

Where To Plant

Next teach them where to plant. I don’t want my vine plants to grow into my lettuce or onion plants. Place markers by the rows to help remember what is planted where. Map out on a piece of paper where each plant will go.

Tools

Make sure to have the correct “kid “ tools to use in the garden when planting. I usually use my garden shovel and allow them to dig with their “play “shovel. It still digs well, but without the sharp edge.

Weeding

It is not as fun as the planting, but it has to be done. Little hands are great for getting the weeds, just remember to keep the session short and fun. One way I reward my preschooler for helping in the garden is by letting him play in the sprinkler when he is done. It really is a win-win situation because he gets clean and has fun at the same time! Each year at the end of the summer one of our family events is the State Fair. I make it a point to take my kids to see the 4-H area where all of the vegetables are grown by kids. Having a garden teaches kids diligence, a respect for our earth, and a great hobby for the future. As a mom that is part of my job…their future. The other part of my job is not so much fun….laundry!