Five Fun Vegetables for Kids to Grow

Kids have a natural interest in gardening, especially if they see you growing your own vegetables and flowers. These quick-growing vegetables are ideal for a kid's garden, because they grow quickly and don't require a lot of care.

Beans: Beans sprout quickly and grow rapidly allowing your youngster to enjoy the fruit of his labor without losing interest. Bush beans produce fruit quicker, but consider pole beans that reach for the sky, just like the beans in 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. Other varieties like the scarlet runner bean appeal to kids because of their scarlet blooms that attract both hummingbirds and bees. Get your child involved with gardening by planting a variety of beans.

Peas: Few kids can resist sweet tender peas right from the vine. To encourage your child's interest in gardening, let him grow a vegetable he actually likes to eat - but be prepared for a lot of snacking right from the vine. Dwarf varieties produce earlier, but there is something irresistible about picking plump pea pods off the pea fence. Consider adding both dwarf and telephone peas to your child's garden.

Radishes: These tiny globes of fire are ready within 30 days making them a favorite for kids. Because seeds germinate quickly - sometimes within a few days - your child won't lose interest before they even emerge. Although many kids dislike the fiery flavor of radishes - most enjoy growing them and seeing them served in a garden salad. Encourage your child to try radishes when they are small, as flavor is less intense.

Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes take a while to mature, but produce an abundance of colorful fruit just the right size for kids. Try growing several varieties in shades of red, yellow and orange to keep your child interested in gardening.

Pumpkins: Pumpkins are ideal for kids because these massive plants produce long vines that sprawl across the soil. But, that's not the only reason to grow pumpkins. Watching that baby pumpkin grow and mature into a large pumpkin ready to be carved into a jack-o-lantern keeps kids interested in gardening all summer.

By getting kids involved in gardening when they are young, you provide them with the skills to develop a life-long hobby, and the means to produce fresh food for their families. Take the time to teach proper care, such as watering and weeding, and you will soon find that you have a new helper for all of your gardening tasks.

Related Articles by this author:
Growing Radishes in the Home Garden
Growing Beans in the Home Garden
How to Grow Sugar Snap Peas