Seven Tips for Gardening with Kids

Give your kids something to do this summer. Start a kid's garden. Here are seven tips for gardening with kids.

1. Think on a Kid's Level

Kids have desires and wants much like an adult. These desires can be a little different from our own. Get down on a kid's level when you plan a garden with the kids. What sort of things do they like? Are they squeamish? Do they enjoy working as long as they are having fun? Are they regularly bored with the same tasks over and over? These are questions that you will have to ask. These questions are important to discover what it is that makes your kids good candidates for gardening.

2. Go Small

Younger kids do better with something their own size. The smaller the kid, the smaller the garden should be. A kid's attention span is smaller than most other people. They lose interest very quickly. A small garden will keep their attention but won't have the other distractions a bigger garden might. Overwhelming kids with a huge garden space could actually deter them from gardening.

3. Go Organic

Organic has different meanings for different people. Organic is defined as something natural free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Some things can be completely organic while other products are partially organic or made with organic materials. Going organic with your kid's gardens helps with safety issues that may arise with gardening. If you choose organic methods of gardening, there will be fewer chemicals that could harm your kids.

4. Quick Growing Plants

Quick results will grab a kid's attention. Quick growing vegetables such as radishes and lettuce are good bets for kids. They germinate or sprout well too. Radishes only take about a month to completely form so they are very good garden plants for kids who might tend to lose interest quickly. Even though sunflowers take a while to completely go through their life cycles, they are quick to sprout.

5. Flowers are Garden Plants Too

Don't neglect flowers as a kid's garden plant. There are many flowers that are perfect for a kid's garden. Sunflowers and pansies are great flowers for a beginner kid's garden. Sunflowers sprout quickly and pansies will tolerate shade, drought and cooler weather so you can plant pansies in early spring. The earlier you grab your kid's attention the more likely they will continue their garden adventures.

6. Kid Sized Tools

Adult size tools are generally too big for a kid to handle, especially younger kids. You can usually find kid sized tools in home and garden stores and on the Internet. Here's a list of some garden tools you should get for the kids.

- Spade: This is also called a trowel. Many little kids call it a baby shovel. It is exactly that. It looks and functions similar to a small shovel. It is used for digging and transplanting.
- Weeder: This helps in the weeding process. They come in many types. There are some weeders that look like screwdrivers while others look like a mini rake.
- Garden gloves: Garden gloves are good for kids. They will help keep their interest in gardening especially those kids who aren't interested in digging in the dirt.
- Pruners: These shouldn't be given to younger kids who can't handle scissors. But for the older more responsible kids, pruners are a good tool. They help prune or trim plants and shrubs and are useful in the harvest of certain vegetables such as peppers and eggplant.

7. Garden Chores are Necessary

You have to usually weed a garden. You have to water a garden. There is a harvest that happens when you grow vegetables in the garden. Garden chores are necessary. But not all kids will see this once they get into gardening. They may be turned off by the fact they have to wait and actually work in the garden. Younger kids and beginning kid gardeners should be given only one or two garden chores to do. That way they won't get turned off by it. Gradually add on more chores as needed. The kids could also be helpers as you do the job. The job gets done faster with more than one person helping.

A Gardening Adventure

Hopefully, the kids stay interested in gardening. Gardening is an adventure and a rewarding hobby that can last a lifetime.