Gardening: How to Teach Kids About Seeds and Gardening

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by Kathy Dalton on April 10th, 2024 | 4 Comments »

Gardening with your family is a great way to involve children. What kid doesn't like to play in the dirt? There is something carefree and fun about getting dirty, especially when it's okay with mom and dad. Gardening together can teach family values like working together, following directions and patience.

How to Teach Your Kids About Seeds and Gardening

One way to teach gardening is to plant seed starters together. Seed starters are planted seeds that start growing inside and are transplanted when they are large enough to plant outside. By growing your plants and vegetables on your own, you can save a lot of money by not purchasing plants that have already been started. Planting seeds teaches children to grow their own fruits, herbs, vegetables or flowers.

What You Need to Start Seeds:

1. Seeds: Planting herbs and vegetables are a nice summer treat. We like to involve the children in this process by allowing them to pick out a few seed packets on their own from the store.

2. Seed starter tray or small container: Seed trays can be purchased at your local grocery store or home improvement store for a few dollars. Small cups do the trick as well.

3. Soil, water, sunshine: Some experts prefer to use a soilless potting mix, but it really comes down to personal preference. Make sure the water can drain properly so the seeds won't drown or get moldy. Direct sunshine outside may be too harsh on hot days, so setting the seeds in the window sill is a good protected place for them to soak up rays.

Other Teaching Ideas

After we planted our seed starters, we saved one seed from each and made a little poster using cardstock and some craft glue. We then labeled the seeds; it turns a family memory into a little science project.

Parents, baby-sitters or teachers can use gardening as an opportunity to teach growth principles:

1. We start as a seed

2. We need soil to sprout our roots.

3. We need sunshine & water to help us grow.

4. We grow and sprout leaves.

5. We see the fruit of our labors.

How do you involve your children in gardening?

Kathy is a marketing consultant and entrepreneur with a passion for social media and parenting on purpose. She is also the CEO of Little Stinker, a natural skin care line for baby and moms.

Recognized as one of the 40 Under 40 by Utah Business Magazine, she was also a finalist in the American Business Association Awards and finalist in the Westminster Business Plan Competition. Kathy has been featured in American Baby Magazine, Parents Magazine, Parenting Magazine and ABC.com. Currently, Kathy is writing a book Word of Mom.

Kathy blogs at Hello Hello Again and Danish Mama.

Tweet with Kathy: @kathydaltonslc // @helloagain