Children love spending time outdoors and discovering nature. Gardening with young children is a way to inspire their natural curiosity of the world around them. By gardening together, children can learn new skills such as responsibility, cooperation, self-confidence, and nutrition.
Gardening with children should center around their five senses. Some ways to incorporate the five senses into your gardening activities include choosing textured plants that children can feel, fragrant plants that children can smell, and brightly colored vegetables and plants that are visually stimulating.
Plants that Incorporate the Five Senses
TOUCH
aloe vera
bottlebrush species
snapdragons
TASTE
basil
strawberries
peas
carrots
lettuce
cucumber
SMELL
jasmine
sweet peas
lavender
chives
SIGHT
rainbow chard
pansies
sunflowers
tomatoes
SOUND
corn
bamboo
grass
Gardening Activities with Children Include:
- Having children dig in the garden using small plastic gardening tools. It is important that gardening tools are the appropriate size for the age of the child participating. Large kitchen spoons or measuring cups work well with younger children.
- Having children help plant seeds/seedlings in the dirt.
- Having children participate in weeding the garden.
- Showing children how to use a watering can to take care of the garden while waiting for plants to grow.
- Having children help harvest produce grown in the garden.
Tips for Gardening with Children:
- Choose some plants that grow quickly. Children can become impatient or lose interest if all of the plants take a long period of time to sprout and grow.
- Keep gardening sessions short and fun, avoid marathon weeding sessions.
- Talk with children about your favorite parts of gardening.
- Choose plants that children can incorporate into their daily meals.
How My Food Program Can Help
As the seasons change and you are able to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your menu, you might find that you need to update your Favorite Foods in My Food Program. It can take a considerable amount of time to search for a food each time you would like to include it as a menu item. By customizing your favorite foods, you can streamline your menu planning. Visit our Help Center Article to learn more about how to set or update your Favorite Foods to include your personalized menu items.