These easy gardening activities are a great way to enjoy some outdoor time with the kids. The whole family will benefit from the fresh air and exercise while learning about planting seeds and caring for the garden. 

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There is something very rewarding about a vegetable garden - planting seeds, watching them grow, and, especially, enjoying the harvest (however small!). 

There are lots of ways to garden with kids. The project will depend on the time and space available to introduce the activity, whether to your family or to your kindergarten or preschool class.

• You might have a tilled area in the yard that supports a small or large garden.
  
  
• You might plant seeds indoors in small pots or paper cups.
  
  
• You might enjoy a field trip to a community garden to help weed or care for plants. 

One way to enjoy the planting experience with early learners is with deck planters. Starting with plant pots helps make gardening fun and easy.

With some good soil and a pair of gardening gloves, you'll be amazed at what you and the kids can produce!

Gardening with kids

Why use plant pots?

Setting plant pots on a deck or patio is a great option for getting kids involved in gardening. 

• Plant pots provide a garden at home or at school when space isn't available to dig in the ground.

• Plant pots require little maintenance, including no weeding!

• Medium-sized pots are easy to fill with soil and won't be too heavy to move around the deck if necessary. Try a variety of sizes and shapes to see what works best for the plants you choose.

Choosing seeds and plants is part of the fun.

Ask for advice at your local nursery or home store for plants that do well in pots for the planting season in your area. You'll also want materials that are safe for kids to handle.

Here are a few that we've had some success with.

Lettuce and beans can be grown from seeds. Bean seeds are a nice size for small fingers to handle, making them easy to plant, and they sprout within a few days.

You can also purchase lettuce plants if it's more convenient, and you will see edible results faster!

• We planted our lettuce seeds in a long, shallow, plastic container. Seeds can be planted two weeks apart, one row down each side of the container, so different stages of growth can be observed.

Tomato and cucumber are purchased as starter plants. All varieties do well in deck planters in our short growing season.

• The cherry tomato is easy for kids hands to grasp when ready to be picked. 
  
  
• Cucumbers trail across the deck or along the railing, and are interesting for kids to observe.

It's time to dig in the dirt.

Assign a small plant pot to each child, labeled with the child's name and contents.

Fill a large tub with planting soil. Set out plants and seeds on a tray or cardboard box. Have small watering cans available.

Kids fill their individual pots with soil, add seeds or a starter plant, add more soil to cover seeds or secure plants, and then sprinkle water into their pots.

Watch the veggies grow.

Make a schedule for the care of the deck garden. Water and fertilize seeds and plants as recommended.

Encourage kids to examine plants for changes as the growing time proceeds.

Cucumber: Look closely at the yellow flower to see a cucumber emerge. Observe how the cucumber plant grows along the deck (or ground) as opposed to the tomato plant which grows upward and needs to be supported.

Green bean: Watch the beans nearly topple the plants over as they droop from slender stems. You might want to support the plants with dowels or sticks. Examine the tiny buds where new beans will grow.

Lettuce: Feel and smell the smooth lettuce leaves. Snip some lettuce leaves out of the planter and take them inside to wash and lay flat to dry. Then taste!

Tomato: Peer inside the tomato foliage to see cherry tomatoes ripen on the vine. Can you see them turn from green to red? When some of the tomatoes are just turning orange, take them inside and wrap them in a soft cloth or brown paper to ripen.

Taste the harvest!

Enjoy picking, and preparing, the foods together. 

There are valuable opportunities for real live engagement when kids wash and chop the food. Provide kid-safe utensils so kids can cut the food, look for seeds, and observe differences in texture and color, on the inside and outside of foods.

Related post: Seeds in Foods

• Look for seeds in foods, observe the different colors of foods, and learn the names of the foods. 

Gardening is hands-on fun and learning for kids

• Gardening provides lots of opportunities for kids to make observations, use fine motor skills, and exercise patience as they plant, nurture, and harvest their crops.

• Kids use language and cognitive skills as they discuss their gardening activities during circle time at school or with family and friends at home.

•  Planting and harvesting help us understand food sources, and the importance of caring for the environment.

Gardening activities are fun for kids at home or at school, with lots of learning experience for kids to enjoy with family and friends.

So pull on a pair of gardening gloves and prepare to be amazed at what you and the kids will produce! Happy gardening!

Gardening with Kids on Pinterest