What kid doesn’t love to play in the dirt? You can channel this love, of digging in the dirt, into a life-long interest in gardening. From the planning and plowing to the tending and harvesting, gardening can be a wonderful learning experience for your kids if you remember these kid friendly garden ideas.
Spring Projects
1-Plant seeds in a clear jar, against the side, so they can watch them grow.
2-Take your kids shopping for some kid-sized gardening gloves and tools.
3-Help them start a compost pile.
4-Help them make a worm farm.
5-Help them build a scarecrow or other craft for their garden.
6-Get them started on a gardening scrapbook or journal.
Make It Personal
Give the kids their own personal space to plant, care for and harvest. This may be a few rows in your garden, a separate plot, a window box or several grouped containers. Here are some ideas for a kid friendly garden.
*Container Gardens
When space doesn’t allow for a conventional garden for your kids, try a group of containers. In each pot, the kids can plant one or more of their favorite flowers or vegetables. There’s more room than you think in a container garden because some plants can be staked to grow up and some can be allowed to hang over the sides.
*Pumpkin Patch
Pumpkins come in all sizes and colors now and most of them make great Jack-O-lanterns. With a little planning, your kids can have them all sold to friends before they are even ready to harvest.
*Soup Garden
Corn, peas, lima beans, onions, cabbage, carrots, celery, potatoes and parsley would all make a great soup. The kids could then make the soup and with your help, can or freeze it.
*Pizza Garden
Roma tomatoes, basil, onions, garlic, bell pepper, oregano, thyme and rosemary are all used in making a pizza. Let them grow it, harvest it and then bake a pizza.
*For The Birds Garden
Corn, sunflowers, poppies, purple coneflower, larkspur, bee balm, snapdragons, asters and bachelor buttons all produce seeds that birds love.
*Mini Garden
Carrots, corn, cabbage, tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, snow peas, pumpkins, onions and patty pan and zucchini squash all have a mini variety. The plants are the same size as regular varieties but the fruits are truly kid size.
*Bamboo Tee Pee
Create a tee pee of bamboo poles and plant cucumbers, pole beans, morning glories or anything that climbs, to cover it. You can also lean the bamboo against a fence top and plant at the base of the poles. This provides a cool place for the kids to play too!
*Flowers To Dry
Statice, African marigold, cornflower, delphinium, larkspur, lavender, poppy seed heads, roses, starflowers, strawflowers and yarrow are all lovely flowers that air dry easily. These can be used in crafts and dried flower arrangements, in crafts and for gifts.
Whichever your kids choose, join in and be a part of their learning experience in gardening. Have a harvest celebration for them and make pictures to add to their scrapbook or journal. No matter how much they enjoy it or learn from it, the greatest reward will be yours, as you watch your kids grow while using these kid friendly garden ideas.
Sources
http://www.gardenandhearth.com
