Quarantine Diaries: Tips on How to Create an Empowering and Successful Garden With Your Children

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Patience, responsibility, intentional care, hard work, and environmental awareness are just a handful of values and skills one can learn through gardening. As your children are stuck at home, this is the perfect quarantine activity to get their minds and bodies moving and learning. We shared some tips on how to create an empowering gardening experience with your children that they’ll never forget and will want to return to every season —

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boosting confidence through gardening USING THREE simple STEPS

Once your children understand the basics, they will begin to feel confident and excited to do this with you. Here are simple steps and descriptions that can help teach them the basics of gardening:

PLANT

Put your plant in healthy soil.

WATER

Plants need water just like humans!

GROW

Be patient and watch your plant grow!

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hands-on learning is perfect during this online schooling season

We’re confident when we say that your kid(s) have loads of energy. It’s a difficult time for parents as they navigate having their kids at home playing all day long, but also still trying to implement activities that get their minds active and learning like they normally would in a school setting. Gardening gives your kids the opportunity to learn about nature and the environment in the comfort of their own backyard! Even if you are doing apartment living, you can easily still teach some basic gardening skills on your patio or even indoors by using gardening pots instead of full beds. Check out our past blog on balcony gardening for more tips on gardening in an apartment setting.

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the best crops to plant with your kids

It’s important to know that not all crops are best to grow with your children because of growing complexities and time. There is a running list of ones that are easier and faster to grow. And your little one is already probably familiar with these, too.

1. Carrots

   Classic. Your kiddos are going to love this one. It will take a bit more time to grow, but totally worth it.

2. Potatoes

   This is hard to mess up, which makes it great to grow with kids.

3. Lettuce

   Greens will always produce faster results. You may have a hard time getting them to eat this, though.

4. Sunflowers

   Plant sunflower seeds and you will see your child’s admiration grow as they get to witness them beautifully bloom. This is a must!

5. Pumpkins

   How exciting is it to grow your own pumpkins?! Plant them now to get them in time for Halloween!

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an empowered gardening experience

Giving your children the experience of nurturing their personal garden can be empowering for them as they take responsibility over their own crops and are rewarded by the harvest. Here are ways to equip them:

1. Give them their own garden bed.

2. Provide them with real, but safe tools.

3. Be engaged as they do it themselves and ready to encourage.

4. Celebrate their harvest!

5. Make a meal with the food they grew.

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More RESOURCES FOR YOUR LITTLE GARDENERS

1. “We are the Gardeners”

   Children’s gardening book by Joanna Gaines.

2. My First Garden Online Guide

   Online educational gardening tool created by the University of Illinois.

3. KidsGardening.org

   Site about all things kids and gardening.

4. The Great Plant Escape

   A list of online gardening resources curated by the University of Illinois.

5. “Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt”

   Children’s gardening book by Kate Messner.