Growing Curiosity: 13 Ways to Get Kids Interested in Gardening
In a world dominated by screens and hectic family schedules, gardening offers a tried-and-true way for kids to connect with nature, learn responsibility and enjoy the satisfaction of accomplishing something with their own hands, among other gains. But let’s be honest – in modern times, it might seem tricky to get children excited about dirt, seeds and watering cans. Fortunately, it’s easier than you think! By making gardening fun, hands-on and age-appropriate, you can instill a passion for plants and outdoorsy leisure. Try the following strategies to get kids interested in gardening.
See more: 9 Creative Spring Gardening Projects for Kids
1. Start Small
The phrase “go big or go home” need not apply to newbie gardeners, no matter their age! Starting off, a big garden project can feel overwhelming. Begin with a small, manageable venture like a container garden, a raised bed or even a windowsill herb garden.
When selecting plants, go for instant visual appeal. Sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds and nasturtiums are fairly easy to grow, and their vibrant hues are sure to catch kids’ attention. For edible options, strawberries, cherry tomatoes and rainbow-colored carrots are great choices as they look fun and taste good too.
2. Choose Fast-Growing Plants
Patience is usually not a strong suit for kids. To keep them engaged, choose seeds and/or plants that sprout and grow quickly. Radishes, lettuce, green beans and peas typically germinate and mature in just a few weeks, giving young gardeners quick wins and a sense of accomplishment.
You can even layer on a little science fun by having kids track growth in a garden journal, measuring plants weekly and drawing pictures of what they see.
See more: 11 Fast-Maturing Crops to Plant This Summer
3. Connect Gardening to Other Interests
If your children love bugs, focus on planting flowers that attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. If they’re into cooking, grow a kitchen garden with herbs and vegetables they can help cook with or snack on. If they’re crafty, press flowers to make bookmarks or try other garden-themed art projects.
By linking gardening to your child’s preferred passions, you’ll make the hobby even more appealing and meaningful.
4. Personalize the Garden
Bright, kid-approved colors and personalized touches can make gardening feel like a creative project rather than a chore. Let your kids pick out colorful pots or decorate them with paint or stickers. Children can infuse all sorts of artistic expressions into a garden, such as with painted shells, stepping stones or cute gnomes and figures.
5. Incorporate Play
Children are naturally drawn to play, so, look for ways to incorporate games and imagination into gardening. For example, create a fairy garden with tiny houses or a terrarium mini-world with miniature plants and characters.
You can also set up scavenger hunts in the garden, challenging kids to find a worm, a buzzing bee, a heart-shaped leaf, a vegetable that’s ready to harvest and more.
Consider offering small rewards – such as the opportunity to choose the next plant to grow or getting extra time with the watering can – to keep the energy high and the smiles coming.
6. Pick a Garden Theme
Young gardeners can really dig into gardening when they pick a specific theme. Examples of kid-friendly garden themes:
- Alphabet Garden: Use plants with names beginning with the letters of the alphabet.
- Butterfly Garden: Focus on plants that attract pollinators like butterflies to the yard.
- Color-Coded Garden: Tap into your child’s favorite color. For example, yellow tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, yellow sunflowers, etc.
- Dinosaur Garden: Emphasize plants that were around when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, such as ferns and horsetail.
- Pizza Garden: Grow the ingredients to make a pizza with preferred toppings, such as tomatoes, basil, oregano, peppers and onions.
- Rainbow Garden: Plant flowers and edibles in an array of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple hues.
- Salad Garden: If your mini muncher loves greens and salads, grow lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and radishes.
- Salsa Garden: For a chip-and-dip theme, grow salsa-themed ingredients, including tomatoes, garlic, cilantro and peppers.
7. Add Kid-Friendly Garden Elements
Adding an unexpected focal point to a kid-friendly garden makes it even more magical. A container pond with floating flowers, an eclectic bird feeder or whimsical beanpole teepees, for example, can spark curiosity and invite exploration. These features not only add visual interest but also initiate interactive spaces where children can learn, play and imagine.
8. Add a Sensory Table
A kid-friendly garden can engage all the senses. For example, kids can see bright florals, taste edible herbs and produce, touch soft and prickly leaves, smell fragrant blooms, and hear bamboo swag and birds chirp.
To elevate this strategy further, create a sensory table within your garden by setting up a sturdy, weatherproof table in a shady spot. Fill shallow bins with natural materials, like sand, water, soil, smooth stones and flower petals; and add kid-safe garden tools, magnifying glasses and scoops. Rotate items seasonally to keep it exciting, encouraging little ones to literally get a sense of nature.
See more: Free and Fun Agriculture Education Resources for Kids
9. Give Them Ownership
Kids love to feel valuable. Instill confidence by giving them their very own garden bed, container or section of the yard to take care of. Let them make decisions about what to plant and how to decorate their space. When kids have ownership, they’re more likely to stay invested in the project and take pride in their work.
You can even create a simple sign with their name on it – “Jane’s Garden” or “Charlie’s Crop” – to make it feel official.
10. Get Kid-Friendly Garden Tools
Adult-sized gardening tools can be heavy, dangerous and awkward for little hands. Invest in a set of child-sized gardening tools that are safe, colorful and easy to use. A small trowel, a lightweight watering can and a pair of gloves in their favorite color can make a world of difference. You can even turn shopping for tools into a fun outing, letting your children pick their own supplies.
11. Encourage Curiosity and Exploration
Young children are super-inquisitive, and every parent has been asked that iconic question over and over: “Why?” Gardening is filled with opportunities to embrace the “why” developmental stage. Foster conversations that address the “whys” and “hows” of nature. Pose questions like, “Why do plants need sunlight,” “What do worms do in the soil,” and “Why do some flowers close at night?”
12. Encourage Garden-Themed Entertainment
Odds are that screen time is happening in your home in some form, even if you have outdoorsy kids. Many popular entertainment programs embody gardening themes, which can help deepen interest. You can find garden-themed episodes of popular TV programs on YouTube, such as Curious George and Bluey, plus tune into films like Bee Movie, The Lorax and Veggie Tales.
Likewise, books may encourage an interest in gardening. For bedtime, integrate stories like The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle or The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett & Calista Brill.
See more: 10 Engaging Children’s Books About Farming
13. Celebrate the Wins
Celebrate the small victories, whether it’s the first sprout, first flower or first taste of a homegrown veggie. Take photos to document progress and perhaps create a “garden scrapbook” together.
Hosting a mini “harvest party” with a special meal made from your garden’s bounty can also create lasting memories and reinforce the idea that gardening is rewarding.
Remember, not everything will go perfectly … and that’s okay! Part of gardening (and, well, life in general) is learning from mistakes. Celebrate efforts, not just outcomes, and emphasize the joy of the process.
Gardening offers kids a chance to dig, discover and delight in the wonder of nature. With a little creativity and patience, you can nurture a lifelong love of plants and the outdoors – one tiny seed at a time.