Gardening with Children

Providing your child with the opportunity to grow food fosters a sense of responsibility and connection with nature.
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At this time of year, many families are nearing the end of their school year. You may be noticing a shift, more movement, more energy, and perhaps a little less ease in your usual rhythm. This is a natural part of the season. As spring unfolds, children often feel a sense of anticipation and outward energy that can show up in their behaviour.

Rather than working against this shift, we can meet it.
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Bringing learning outside and offering practical, hands-on work, such as gardening, digging, carrying, and building, can help ground this energy in a meaningful way. Growing food is a simple and effective place to begin. It allows children to move their bodies, engage their senses, and take part in real work that has purpose.
There are many ways to approach gardening, and you can choose what works best for your space and season.
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Here are some easy ideas to get you started:

• Choose your space. If you have a yard, set aside a portion as your garden, get your hands dirty, and dig away! Don’t want to dig up your yard? Live in an apartment? No problem. You can also use containers or get a plot of land in a community garden.
• Choose your seeds and starts. 
  • Starts: You can find starts at a local farmer’s market or garden store. Starts literally mean the plants have already begun to grow, so you can plant them directly in your assigned garden area. Strawberry or kale starts are easy to begin with.
  • Seeds: Radishes, peas, carrots, arugula, cucumbers, and tomato seeds germinate quickly. Read the seed package instructions. Some seeds must be sown indoors in early spring and then moved outside when it gets warmer, while others can be sown directly outside. 
  • Involve your child in every step. They can help buy the seeds or starts, plant them in your garden, gently loosen the roots of small veggie starts, and then place them in the dirt. They can cover roots and seeds with soil and help you water daily.
  • Teach your child about pollination and the importance of the sun and water. You can also plant flowers that are attractive to bees and other pollinators.

This is also an opportunity to observe and discuss the roles of the sun, water, and pollinators. Planting flowers that attract bees and other pollinators can deepen this experience.

As we move toward the end of the school year, there is still work to be done. But when we align that work with the season's natural energy, it becomes more manageable and enjoyable for everyone.

And perhaps most importantly, it keeps the learning alive.
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The key? Keep it simple, and have fun.