Gardening with Kids: Start Your Garden Indoors

When "cabin fever" gives way to "spring fever", we all feel energized. It's that "start something time of the year"-a garden could be just that project. Gardening with kids can be a great "together time" activity and everyone can have one. When the frost is gone, a small plot of ground in a sunny place is best, but until then containers of all sorts and sizes can give the pleasure of gardening indoors. It's important to discuss the life cycle of a plant with your child. Look for books in the library with colorful illustrations.

Here are a few concepts to convey:

-First a seed is planted which needs air, water, food and the sun to grow.

-A small root grows from the seed.

-Next a small shoot appears.

-The young plant matures developing leaves and flowers.

-The flowers produce seeds, seedpods, or fruit. These seeds can be replanted and the cycle is repeated.

When gardening with your child, be patient. Remember that a child's attention span is shorter than an adult's. Take time to enjoy the experience and put off the rush to get all the potting done at a record's pace. The most important item you're growing here is a strong relationship with your youngster.

Grow, Seed, Grow! (Toddlers and Twos)

Let your child begin his study of gardening by doing simple tasks. A two-year old might not be able to plant tomato plants, but he can put stones in the bottom of pots for drainage or help fill empty pots with soil. Toddlers are also very good at emptying pots when you least expect it, so be sure the tasks you give are age appropriate and keep a watchful eye. A fun activity for your youngster is to plant grass seeds into foam paper cups. With markers draw facial features on the outside of these cups. Place them on a sunny windowsill and invite your child to water the planters. Within a few days to a week your little one will be thrilled to see that his "funny face" planter has grown a head of grassy hair.

Kid Cultivators (Preschool +)

The earliest of spring gardens can be started indoors. One such garden can be made with an empty egg carton and eggshell halves. Place empty eggshell halves in the cups of an egg carton. Invite your child to fill the shells with potting soil and carefully plant seeds in each one. Keep the egg carton closed so that the seeds will stay warm and sprout quickly, watering the soil as necessary to keep it moist. After the seeds have sprouted and grown into seedlings, you and your child can plant the eggshells outside, crushing them slightly before placing them in the ground. This is also a good time to compare seeds with their end product via pictures. Purchase a few seed packets for this project. Your child can cut out pictures from the seed packets and glue these onto construction paper creating a collage. Glue a few of the corresponding seeds next to the picture. To keep the seeds from falling off, laminate this collage with a sheet of clear adhesive paper on top.

Gardening in the Kitchen (School Age)

Start a plant from another plant; these are some of the lessons your child will learn from gardening in the kitchen. Almost any seed or cutting can produce some greenery. Gather some containers, cut down milk cartons, jars, and dishes and proceed to start a mini garden in the comfort of your cozy kitchen. Keep a journal weekly and record the growing process with words and illustrations.

Try these:

-Popcorn Pie-Few of us consider that this favorite snack is really a seed, before it's popped that is. Fill a pie plate with potting soil and plant the kernels near the surface. Keep the soil moist. Within a week you'll see the first buds of popcorn pie.

-Sweet potatoes are easily grown, but you need the whole potato, not just the peelings. Stick toothpicks around the potato and put it halfway into a jar of water. Be sure that the sprout side is up and the root side is down. The vine will grow almost like the one in "Jack and the Beanstalk." It's fun to wind the vine around a window, measure its growth and make up stories about it.

-Sprout kidney beans or lima beans in a jar. Fill a clear glass jar with a sponge. Pour water over the sponge to moisten it thoroughly. Place a few beans between the sponge and the side of the jar. It's neat to watch the plant break out of the seed, shed the seed shell, and grow.

When you have seen the last of the frost and nice days are ahead, it's time to think about gardening with kids. Whether you container garden or sow a plot outdoors, there is something special about growing things in nature and getting your hands into the soil with your loved ones.

Source: Personal Experience