Finally, it’s Mother’s Day, and the sun is shining for the first time in about a week. And what a week it’s been. Being sick on a rainy day is so gloomy so when the sun came out today, I was so happy. The beautiful sun reminded me of a couple weeks ago on another sunny day when the kids and I started a small gardening project. After our experience, I have a couple tips to help kids garden.

Gardening With Kids

1.) Encourage involvement through the whole process.

Let’s face it. Kids are not going to be perfect at gardening. Flower pots will tip over, and containers of seeds will spill. Gardening with kids is much more simple than it sounds. Remember, the goal of gardening with kids is to lighten a child’s spirit and to inspire them to love nature. Provide positive encouragement every step of the way. Exciting and joyous gardening memories will last long into the future.

It helps to garden with tools that are unbreakable, so you won’t mind your kids’ excitement. My kids had an easy time gardening with the Green Toys Indoor Gardening Kit, which came with three unbreakable planting pots made out of 100% recycled plastic, organic seeds, soil pods, a trowel, and a planter tray. Even when Georgiana tipped one of the pots over, I wasn’t worried because I knew the pot wouldn’t break. I also really liked the Watering Can made out of recycled plastic because it gave Georgiana more independence to water the plants by herself.

2.) Give breaks when needed.

Gardening should be a relaxing experience. Give ample rest time, and keep your kids well hydrated. Kids get tired well before adults do. Five to ten minutes of rest and play should happen about every half an hour. My daughters needed time to unwind after every step of the planting process. When kids get bored, antsy, or exhausted, they should get some time off from working in the garden. This will keep them energized and ready to learn when it’s time to garden.

3.) Personalize the experience for each kid.

Give each kid the chance to make the experience all their own. Kids can make their own windchime or birdfeeder to add to the family garden. My kids loved being able to plant their own type of plant so they each can watch their plant grow. Samantha wanted the sunflowers and Georgiana wanted the carrots. This encourages them to continue to care for their plants.

Each kid also really enjoyed getting their hands in the soil to help hydrate the soil pod. Make gardening a hands on experience. My kids connected with their plants more because they got involved in the process. Personalize the experience for your kids to help them stay engaged.

4.) Make gardening a reward, not a chore.

Getting to head outside for some sun is a huge reward in my family. After constant exposure to screen time and other indoor activities, it’s a nice break to be around nature. Getting to garden as a family is a reward to the whole family. We enjoy the time outside together, so it doesn’t even seem like work. No matter how big your gardening obligations are for the day, make it a game for the kids to help them enjoy the experience.

5.) Clean up well afterwards!

After a long, hot day outside, getting clean is the best feeling. Green Toys makes a Tugboat and a Submarine that are Samantha and Georgiana’s favorites. Both toys hold water well, which helps wash away all the dirt and grime. These toys are also made of very eco-friendly materials, so you can use them to teach about the benefits of helping keep our ecosystem clean.

6.) Celebrate each achievement.

Growing plants is a lot of work, and you won’t be successful every time. When a seed sprouts or the first flower blooms, make it a huge celebration. Samantha checked her pots daily to see if a sprout was coming, and she was heartbroken when nothing was there for the first couple of days. When another day passed and a few seeds sprouted, it was the most exciting day.

Even better, the plants continued to sprout more than I had anticipated! The directions said to only add two or three seeds. When I helped the kids plant the seeds, I put all of the seeds in just in case some didn’t sprout. There was nothing to worry about. The gardening kit worked very well. All of the seeds must have sprouted, because the pots are completely full now.

Do you garden with your kids in the summer? What are your best tips? Share so I can try some out in the upcoming weeks.

Disclosure

I received a free item, but it no way influenced my opinion!

Nikki May 10, 2016

Whilst I dont have kids these are some brilliant ideas. Your children are beautiful 🙂

Jessica Hughes May 10, 2016

Great tips, this looks so fun!

raquel May 24, 2016

I second that!

Justine Y @ Little Dove May 10, 2016

So fun! I love the Green Toys line, we have a submarine of theirs that the kids just love to play with in the tub. I love this young age because kids have such a desire to help, even if they’re not the best at it, lol. We recently planted a garden outside and everyday the kids are so excited to go check on the progress!

Elizabeth May 10, 2016

I love the watering can and the yellow pots! Your kids are adorable!

Dicia May 12, 2016

Great idea! I did something similar with my kids!

Christine - Jar Of Lemons May 12, 2016

Awww, so sweet! Love the photos. What a fun activity for kids!

Anvita Bhatnagar Mistry May 12, 2016

Great post. My 3 yr old enjoys gardening and best of all when his plants start yielding flowers / fruit, he gets super excited. Honestly it is a very rewarding experience and therapeutic too.

Lauren May 12, 2016

Such a fun activity for the littles to do together! Getting outside and playing in the garden should always be a fun and rewarding experience for little ones.

Lauren – http://www.growingupexpat.com

Christine @ The (mostly) Simple Life May 24, 2016

I love this! Gardening is so exciting for me as an adult and it’s magical when you’re a kid. They will have such good memories of this!

Paula Niziolek May 25, 2016

So fun! I love gardening with the Little’s and the excitement they have when things start to sprout and grow. That gardening kit and water can is perfect! I bet your kids really enjoyed it!

rebecca May 25, 2016

I just did a post on gardening with one year olds. Some of our advice overlapped such as the involvement and giving breaks. I think this watering can is super cute and seems light enough weight that my little one might be able to handle it by next summer. I really emphasized variety in plants that would appeal to all senses ie sage which has an interesting texture and rosemary with its pungent smell as well as in more unusual colored food ie blue potatoes or purple peppers.