Growing a garden is a rewarding experience you’ll love, especially if you involve your children in the process. When growing a garden with your children, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to bond over digging in dirt and watering plants. Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips you can use to help grow your own summer garden with the help of your children.
Pick A Spot
Before you can grow your own garden, you’ll need to pick the perfect spot. The best way to do this is to involve your children. They can help you find a sunny spot that’s far away from any play areas. The last thing you want to do is to plant your garden next to a swing set or sandbox! Make sure this spot has adequate sunlight and fertile soil.
Grow Something You’ll Enjoy
Once you have the perfect spot for your garden, it’s time to start planning what you want to grow! Be sure to include plants you and your children will enjoy. This could be a favorite type of flower or veggie everyone in the family loves to snack on. By growing something everyone will enjoy, your children will be super excited to see this project through to the end.
Start Small
Although it might be tempting to start big and grow all different types of plants, don’t give in. For your first year of gardening with your children, start small. Pick only a few things to grow and be sure to plant the rows far enough apart for little feet to walk through without trampling plants. If this smaller garden is a success, next year you can plant bigger and better things.
Learn & Grow
Growing a garden with your children isn’t just about the actual work. It’s also the perfect time for you and your children to learn and grow. Every time you head out to the garden, make it a time to learn something new. Explain to your children how plants grow from a seed and what plants need to thrive. Dig around in the dirt a little and discover what creatures live below the surface. When pulling weeds, do some research to help identify the different types of weeds you pull. You’ll be amazed at all the learning opportunities you can fit in to your gardening time.
It can be super fun and exciting to grow a garden with your children. By involving your children in the process from the start, your kids will feel responsible for the garden. They’ll feel a sense of pride their hard work pays off in the form of a freshly picked tomato or cucumber. What’s some of your best advice when it comes to growing a garden with children? We’d love to hear from you!
