May 2018 – Prestige Preschool Academy – Start a Garden with Your Children

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Gardening with your children is a great bonding experience and the lessons they learn will astound you.  After harvesting a carrot from the garden you may be surprised that your “picky eater” really likes veggies.  Plus, you will be outside and exercising!

Here are some age-by-age garden ideas for your little green thumbs.

Age 2

• Speed-garden. Toddlers and waiting don’t mix. For fast results, place a few pea or bean seeds and a slightly moistened cotton ball in a see-through plastic cup or sandwich bag (tape it to the window for maximum sun and easy viewing). “This is the absolute easiest way to begin,” says Cohen. “You’ll see sprouts within a week.” Then transfer the seedlings to a garden or container (see “No Backyard? No Problem!” below).
• Let ’em get dirty. “Give your child a small hand trowel and let her search through the soil for worms,” says Rose Judd-Murray, a youth gardening specialist with the National Gardening Association. “She can even carefully handle the worms and measure how long they are.”

Ages 3 to 4

• Build a bean tepee. This easy, fast-growing project makes a terrific fort. Pick a spot that gets at least six hours of sun per day. Buy five 6-foot wooden stakes (or use fallen tree branches sturdy enough to support a growing plant) and stick them a few inches into the ground, tying the stakes together at the top like a tepee. Add a bit of new soil around each stake and have kids press a few pole-bean seeds an inch or so into the ground. Sprouts will wind their way up the stakes in a couple of weeks.
• Keep a calendar. Preschoolers are learning patience and a sense of time—concepts that can be reinforced in the garden. Use a calendar to highlight the days when you expect seeds to germinate. To add to kids’ sense of accomplishment—and make the waiting more bearable—have them put a sticker or check mark on days they water and weed.
• Choose the right plants. For the best chance of success, pick easy-to-grow veggies such as radishes, carrots and lettuce. Seeds that are big enough for little fingers to handle easily include sunflowers, nasturtiums, beans, and peas.

Ages 5 to 6

• Start with seedlings. For an edible haul faster, start with small veggie plants instead of seeds; kids’ feelings of accomplishment will be boosted by the quick results.
• Create a storybook garden. Read a favorite garden-themed book and create your own garden to match. Two favorites: The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss. Pick a sunny spot and plant carrot or sunflower seeds in the ground or a container (be sure to choose a place with enough room—sunflowers can grow up to 15 feet tall!). The wow factor with sunflowers makes them a special favorite with kindergarten kids.

No Backyard? No Problem

You can still grow plants in a container garden on a porch or windowsill, says gardening expert Rebecca P. Cohen. To get started, you’ll need a 12-inch-diameter bucket with good drainage (soil that’s too wet is bad for plants); potting mix; and a location with full sun every day. Or add a fun twist with containers that can be adapted for growing, such as milk cartons, baskets, plastic pails or items in the recycling bin (poke holes in your container if necessary).

Gardening at Your Local Prestige Preschool Academy 

Find your nearest Prestige Preschool Academy and see how our gardens grow!!

Read more at KidsGardening.org

From Parenting Magazine – By Charlotte Latvala

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