How to Garden with Preschoolers

All parents know that vegetables are a vital part of a healthy diet, and recently there have been plenty of books and magazine articles full of ideas on how a savvy parent can sneak these nutrient-dense foods into children's meals and snacks. There's a lot to be said for this approach -- which gives parents peace of mind without setting off warning bells in finicky four-year-olds -- but it's not a parent's only option, especially now that warmer weather has arrived. For the adventurous parent, gardening with preschoolers offers a wealth of opportunities to expand your child's palate, teach important science concepts, and spend quality time together.

The biggest advantage of starting a garden with a young child is that it provides a concrete illustration of where that wonderful stuff we call food really comes from, showing that it does not just magically appear on supermarket shelves (and most definitely does not originate in cans or in plastic bags in the freezer case!). Observing the process that turns a seed or seedling into a side dish on the dinner table paves the way for a child to understand the role of farming in our society, and instills a sense of wonder and respect for the natural world as well.

Another wonderful aspect of growing food at home is that it allows for complete quality control. With so many parents concerned about food safety, and considering the high cost of organic food at the store, a home garden can help trim your grocery bill without sacrificing your standards.

An additional benefit of gardening with preschoolers is the opportunity to introduce science concepts in the way that young minds learn best -- by observing and experiencing with their own eyes and hands. By being an active participant in the scientific process, a child learns through both successes (a bumper crop of tomatoes to enjoy throughout the summer) and failures (seeds that just don't sprout or plants that fail to thrive if the weather doesn't cooperate). Discussing the entire experience offers opportunities to expand upon vocabulary, while offering lots of chances to make and test predictions. And because gardening takes plenty of time, waiting can be filled with lots of great books on plants and gardening from the library or bookstore. A simple notebook can become a preschooler's own gardening journal for sketching plants and listing the names of varieties you are attempting to grow, with your child either writing or dictating their reflections on the gardening process.

Once you have decided to plant a garden, what should you include? One simple choice for a first-time gardener is to pick a theme as a guide. If your child will eat pizza, plant a few items that will grow into tasty ingredients, and try adding in some veggies that may not yet be favorites. So a pizza garden will include tomatoes, some herbs like basil and oregano, and various types of onions, peppers, or anything else that you or your preschooler may be adventurous enough to try at least once! If spaghetti is a favorite in your home, the same choices would work. Almost any combination of veggies and herbs can be turned into a successful "soup garden" -- take your fresh produce, some broth, and a handful of alphabet pasta, and you have a simple and delicious meal in minutes.

Another theme that works well with the younger set is to plan your garden around smaller produce that makes great finger food and is fun to dip. Sugar snap peas and grape tomatoes can be particularly appealing, and radishes grow quickly, yielding relatively speedy results for impatient preschool gardeners. Dwarf carrot varieties taste fresher than the baby-cut carrots sold at the store, and can even be found in a variety of shades, not just the traditional orange.

If space allows, you might want to opt for large-scale projects instead. Sunflowers grow to enormous heights, and can be the basis for child-sized forts and tunnels with a bit of assistance from grown-ups. Pumpkins are among the most exciting plants for children to grow, yielding impressively large and decorative specimens that most kids are eager to decorate, and many will eat (especially once they have had an opportunity to scoop and dry the seeds for themselves).

If you simply do not have space for a traditional garden, that's no reason to miss out on the growing process altogether. Container gardening is a fantastic solution for those without much space at hand. Many veggies grow beautifully in containers, and decorating planters can be a fun and creative project for a child. If you turn out not to have a green thumb, you can even enjoy the season's bounty without so much as touching a trowel by taking advantage of farmers' markets and pick-your-own farms, which bring children in contact with the growers of food and allow you to choose truly fresh seasonal offerings for the family to enjoy.

No matter what approach you choose, gardening can expose your preschooler to new flavors and experiences, and provides a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Best of all, you'll share plenty of time together planning, planting, and maintaining a garden, and learning that the entire gardening experience is as much about the process as it is about the product.