Gardening with Kids

* This post is part of our March Top 5.  Check out the other top posts here.*

Last year, I let Miss Magoo plant and grow some basil in the kitchen window. She loved it! When people would come over, she wanted to show them "her" basil. One of the best things about it was that is germinated within maybe 2 days, and if you have preschoolers, you know how their patience is... well, non-existent!  The following picture shows it on maybe day 4 or so.

Once the weather got nice, we took the plants outside and divided them into 4 pieces and replanted them in the garden, so she got to continue watching them grow. When we would cook dinner, I would ask her to go out and pick a few leaves to add to our food. The whole experience was a lot of fun for her.
This year, we started some black bean seeds in wet paper towels inside a ziploc baggie. I wet a paper towel and then folded the paper towel into quarters. Miss Magoo set the beans on one part of the paper towel, and then I folded some of it over the top. Then we sealed it shut and taped the baggie in the window.

Less than a week after putting them in, I opened the bag and was shocked to see a plant inside the bag! One of the seeds germinated so quickly!  The other 2 just had little roots coming out.

I helped Miss Magoo fill 2 jars with soil, and we placed the plant in one of the jars, and the other 2 beans in the other jar, and they are growing like crazy! The following picture is the day we planted the bean.

While we were at it, I let Miss Magoo and Little Man fill jars up for me to transplant some lettuce starts that were in serious need of transplanting.

I won't lie: gardening with kids is a lot more work than just doing it yourself. However, including them in the process is a great way to get kids who don't typically like veggies to give them a try. There's something so exciting about having grown the plants themselves. And getting to go outside and pick food? That's pretty cool, too!

If you haven't tried this before, do! If you live someplace like Kerry and I (in Idaho), start a few plants-- you know we've still got time! If you live someplace warm like Texas (like Lucy), you can go plant outside.

Gardening with Kids: Miss Magoo's black bean plants after less than 3 weeks

 Maybe you don't have a special garden area, and don't want that kind of work?  Get a container (any kind will work- you can even use an old bucket!). Drill a couple holes in the bottom, or use a hammer and nail to "punch" holes. Then put some gravel or rocks in the bottom to help with drainage. Next, put in some soil. Then let the kids plant a couple plants. Think about what your kids might like. I don't have a hard time convincing my kids to eat veggies (my 1 year old LOVES broccoli, lettuce, asparagus, etc), but if you do, think about what they might be willing to try, and plant that!

Most of all, have fun with it! Let your kids get their hands dirty!

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