Working in a garden helps connect children with nature and the cycle of the year, teaches children where our food comes from, and awakens wonder and awe at watching a plant grow from seed to flower or fruit.
Children as young as three-years old can begin helping in the garden. They can help rake and hoe, and with a parent’s help, plant seeds in a small patch, tend the plants and watch them grow.
In Waldorf education, gardening is usually practiced with children and their teachers in kindergarten through second grade. Teachers know that gardening with children provides early science lessons, but more importantly, working in a garden cultivates a connection to nature, which will lead today’s children to become caretakers of the earth later in life.
Later, gardening is an important element of the third grade curriculum in a Waldorf school when children study housebuilding, farming and gardening.
A backyard garden provides a magical place in which children can play and explore.
The marvelous books Sunflower Houses and Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy are filled with inspiring ideas for gardening with children including planting a “sunflower house” or “beanpole teepee” – gardening projects in which children can hideaway during enchanted summer days! Sharon’s books will help you and your child plan and grow a garden even if you are a complete notice.
URBAN GARDENING
And gardening is not limited to families who live in the country or in the suburbs. If you live in the city and don’t have a backyard, here are some urban gardening ideas for parens and children:
- Plant flowers around the base of trees on your sidewalk
- Plant window boxes
- Plant and tend a planter outside your front door on a porch or stoop
- Grow an herb garden in your kitchen (Harvest mint for tea and herbs for soup.)
- Plant in raised beds on a roof
Children are naturally drawn to growing things from seeds. I still remember as a child planting carrot seeds in a little patch of dry dirt outside our apartment building in urban Los Angeles, and the wonder and awe of seeing the green sprouts from the seeds I planted and watered! How could I have guessed then that I would grow up to live on a farm in Maine and have large vegetable and flower gardens?
Bella Luna Toys is pleased to offer high quality gardening tools for children, kids work gloves, and a number of books on gardening with children to help children get started.
GARDENING GIVEAWAY
NOTE: This giveaway is now closed.
To celebrate spring to encourage families to plant a garden this year, Bella Luna Toys is pleased to have partnered with our friends at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, producers of high quality, non-GMO and organic seeds here in Maine, for a fantastic Kids Gardening Giveaway!
Win a shiny red bucket filled with kids gardening tools from Bella Luna Toys, six packets of easy-to-grow fruit, vegetable and flower seeds from Johnny’s Seeds and books to help you get started.
Win This Bucket of Goodies to Grow a Garden!
Entries must be received by midnight EDT, Monday, May 14, 2018. One winner will be chosen at random and announced on Tuesday, May 15. Good luck!
Congratulations to Glenda B. from Somerset, Kentucky who was our lucky winner! Thank you to all who entered.
Well may your gardens grow!
Do you have a garden? Are you inspired to start one this year? Have an idea to share on gardening with children? Leave your comments here!
93 Comments
Hi, I have a small garden; and flowers! My two little grandsons are my best helpers…
Thanks, Cindi
We are just starting our garden by making a new bed and ordering organic plant starts. Our baby loves to be outside, and I’m excited for her and the other three children to experience the magic of growing a fruitful garden.
I love planting and planting season. I love watching the new sprouts shoot up thru the soil. Its a very magical time of the year .
I am a preschool teacher and I garden with the children in my class often. They absolutely love to do real work and who couldn’t resist a bit of dirt! I have several raised beds and the kids enjoy planning what to plant and starting some of the seeds indoors under grow lights. Children love to find creepy crawlies and they make gardening such an adventure.
We keep a lil garden of potted plants as we await our re-entry into the community garden. We had a plot there and had to give up because we moved out of the city a bit. I love introducing my daughter to gardening, it really can fix anything. The best medicine!
We have a small permaculture garden. We try to mimic nature as much as possible and work with her rather than against her. We learn about Mother Gaia’s natural cycles by observing what goes on in the garden. Thanks!
We love gardening! My kids mostly focus on flowers, so I throw in some herbs that they can take care of while I tend to the veggies. 🙂
We don’t have a garden but we want one! We love to visit gardens and we love to go cherry picking! Thank you for providing a trusted place where I can shop for my son. =)
We have a garden at our house, strawberry patch, and this year an herb garden. The kids, especially the little ones love to help:)
We have a simple garden at our school and the students’ families are now enjoying the eggs of new chicks that arrived last summer. I’ve been teaching for 35+ years and gardening with children, even full-on farm-to-table gardening at one secondary school, has always been an important part of our program.
We have a small garden via pots and bins because we live in a townhouse with a very little yard, but I still like to have the kids seeing things grow!
We had to move because of hurricane Harvey and our new home has a tiny back lawn. I want to get my children involved in planting a small garden where we can grow a few veggies. I am also in the planning stages to create a mud garden/outside play area for my littles.
I am so sorry to hear how your life was impacted by Hurricane Harvey, Irena. How wonderful that you are planning a small garden in your new home.
Charlotte and her Mom just moved into their new home and have already selected a sunny spot for their garden. This child loves to be outdoors and is a great helper! She would so enjoy have her own flower garden and growing PEAS.
We’re actually starting a raised garden this weekend. Our little guy is about to turn 2 in a couple weeks, and we’re excited to get him involved in the project.
I love gardening! It is my favorite part of the warmer weather! Although I won’t be able to have my own garden I will for sure be doing lots of gardening in my friends places.
My mother kept a garden all of her life. She taught me all about canning and living off the land. I’m waiting for my grandchildren to move closer to me so I can keep the tradition going. By the way my mother is now into wine making and she is great at it, always something new to learn…cheers!
We just had a second baby and getting out in the yard, even if it’s iust to let my oldest dog in the dirt, has been a great way to spend quality time together when baby is sleeping.
We have a garden at our family friend’s house that we have been working with for the past 3 years. Our 13 month old absolutely loved playing in the soil while we prepared the beds and planted the pease. And she has been really enjoying watching our little seedlings grow indoors! We’re very excited for this growing season with her.
Our soon to be 6 year old grandson loves to help in our little garden. I think it’s great to teach kids how to grow food and flowers. He’s always so proud when he brings in his tomatoes or picks me a flower he’s grown.
We have a tiny little porch that is in shade most if the day, but I want to make a container garden this year.
Yes, we have several raised garden beds, which our children help tend to. Tip: Put in a garden hammock! It works wonders for outdoor naps.
We are starting a much bigger garden then we’ve had in past years. Excited to share this experience with my daughter:)
My grandmother and my mother were earth healers, and I love sharing the wisdom of healing remedies with the children in our family. The children love to create magical fairy gardens with stones and little pools and moss, and they love to gather herbs from our gardens to create healing teas, salves and oils.
We are moving to a different state – it may be tough to start a garden this year, but we plan to watch how the sun moves across the sky, and where the dark and light spots are. That way we can find the best place to situate our garden. We are moving closer to grandchildren, so we hope they will participate in growing with us.
My daughter and I are starting a community garden in our neighborhood park here in Briarwood Queens in the next few weeks when the weather gets better. I am very excited to plant and beautify our park with her. This gift set would be so perfect for her and get her so super excited to garden with mommy. I hope we win!!
We are starting our very first garden this year. My 4 year old son is so excited to see how vegetables grow. Thank you for the opportunity!
We have some fruit trees in our back yard and some herbs. I am so grateful that we have a beautiful community garden to bring my boys. We can go anytime and pick what we need. Such fun to share in working with our fellow neighbors as well!
We have fairy gardens inside and outside of the house. People in our community often leave tiny things like shells, stones, angel trinkets or even real buffalo hair (with a note) in the front mini garden because they too “believe in faeries”. It’s fun to watch through the seasons.
we are excited that the snow is gone and now we can start planning our garden!
I have a small flower and herb garden out on our balcony. The roses should be ready to bloom just in time for our baby to be born. ❤️
We are hoping to really up our gardening game (growing at 9,100ft is difficult) by adding a hoop house. The children have already started our seeds!
Yes! Our backyard is only 90 feet and we still plant almost 35 different things in our garden-all edible, not including flowers! And still have room for a jungle gym & swingset. All the kids love gardening & we all look so forward to springtime!!
I’m planning a small garden for my 11 year old son and I to plant. I’ve always wanted to and I think it would be great quality time
I have a flower garden that my kids and I tend to together. We also have creature gardens that the kids get to pick what they want to plant in there to be with their animal toys. Then my kids and my mom do fruit and veg gardening at her house.
We are putting a garden in for the first time this year! My kids each have a raised bed of their own to plant what they want-they are very excited!
we havent started our garden it is still cold here
We cant start seeds yet due to the weather!
I don’t have a garden, but I am very inspired to start this spring with my baby. He is 17 mo and has a little plant in his table. We are doing pretty good keeping it alive, so finger crossed we will be planting some seeds!
No, I don’t have a garden.
Yes I garden! I have two beautiful grandchildren to help. You just need to let children help!
We are part of a community garden and have a small plot for ourselves. When I first joined I was very excited but struggled with mental illness that made it impossible for me to continue. I’m doing significantly better this growing season and am inspired to plant pretty much anything with my 3 year old – and keep it alive! She is so fascinated by flowers and bugs and has been asking me to take her to the garden. I’m sure it’s going to be one of our favorite activities all year long.
Yes, we have a garden. Children learn by working with you. My boys are always with us in the garden. They help with what they are able, and have fun playing as well. They are a big help!
We have turned most of our small backyard into a kitchen garden and our small sons have already enjoyed planting and watering kale, best, and bean seeds this spring. The giveaway bucket would be so perfect for them!
We plant flowers and do general gardening with out 3 year old daughter. She loves helping lay mulch and dip little holes for plants.
We are a garden family and I really want to involve my preschooler and toddler this year. We are moving to a new house so this will be new for all of us!
We moved from the country with a huge garden and forest back to an apartment in the city. The one thing my littles miss is the garden and I promised them this year we would start a container garden. This would be such an awesome start to making this a reality for them! Thank you for the chance to win!
We have an organic herbs garden. It if fun for all, little once and adults. Oregano, mint and sage grow very well as perennials in our climate, we are in NY. The rest of herbs we plant annually. Sunny spots are always better that shade, the herbs grow faster and bigger.
We have started pinto beans, radishes, sunflower and carrots inside. Waiting for spring to finally arrive up here in WNY before we can plant outside. We will also be doing a flower fairy garden and planting all of the flowers that correspond to Cicely Barker’s fairies!
Yes, we have a garden this year. Kids even have their own rows.
What a wonderful idea to give kids their own rows, Nicole! Thanks for sharing.
I have a garden my grand kids help me with each year. They help plant and water and harvest. They love picking strawberries, pulling up radishes and even finding worms to feed the chickens. A great way to spend time together. They don’t even realize they are working and learning!
We plant herbs and flowers every year-it’s keeping them alive where I struggle😆 the girls and I have so much fun pouring the fertilizer and planting the seeds-I almost feel like that’s the most important part for their age. Now that they are 7 & 6 maybe watering them will hold equal importance. Doing a nature journal would be effective too.