Once frost is not an issue anymore, you can start planting your spring garden. And if you have someone in the house who is not a fan of veggies, growing a garden together may be a great incentive to try one. It’s nice for the environment, it helps your family budget, and it’s so easy on the eyes. The benefits are tremendous. Now, the question is, how do you get your little preschooler interested? Read on for a few clever suggestions.
Let him pick the gear
Preschoolers are fiercely independent; they are consumed with the passion to do everything themselves. Now is a good time to play into that by helping them choose all the gardening tools you are going to need. Head to the nearest garden shop and have your tot pick the watering can, rake, gloves and anything else you think he could help you with. You can certainly guide him in the selection process, knowing which tools may be easier to use (the right handle, or spout, etc.).
Plan the Garden together
Check out a few books on gardening for kids at your local library or book store. Some good examples are How a Seed Grows (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1), One Bean, or Jack’s Garden. It’s a great starting point. Afterwards, have a chat on what your little one would like to see growing in the garden. Talk about how long it takes some veggies to grow and how much care they will need. Write down which veggies you would like to grow together – let your child decide as much as possible. Then, get a large sheet of paper and do a fun crafting activity cutting shapes for each vegetable you plan to plant and glue them on the sheet. This will be your garden plan and it will help you being more organized when you go out to plant and will help your child follow the plan better. This is also a good time to pick some seeds you may plant later.
Make it a Special Day
Turn this into your own Gardening holiday. Get all your gear and supplies ready and head out into the garden. Don’t forget your gardening plan you just made and a camera to document the steps. Pictures are a great way to turn this into a wonderful memory; it will also be easier to compare the plants as they grow. It’s a wonderful tool for developing patience and learning the cause and effect here. Once the garden is planted and sufficiently watered, it’s time to celebrate. Make some cookies and decorate with green and multi-colored icing for your favorite vegetable or flower shapes. Now that your kids know it’s a gardening holiday at your house, they will be anticipating it every year. The fun doesn’t end here, however, as they can help you water and maintain the garden and take pictures of it as it grows.
Cook what you Grow
My garden’s original purpose was to teach my little carb-and-anything-with cheese-lover how to eat and enjoy vegetables. So it is a no-brainer you will want to cook the results of your wonderful garden. Have your child decide how you will cook the veggies – roast, bake, steam, grill, or even fry. Have him decide on the seasonings too. The more decisions, the more in control of the dish he will feel and the more likely he will be to try it. There is nothing like home-grown vegetables. I think the effort alone makes them taste better. Let’s hope this will be the beginning of your tot being a veggie fan.
Share the work
Sharing is actually nice when you also get to show off your work at the same time, right? Ask your little one to place some of the veggies you’ve grown into a basket and then bring them over to grandma, or friend, or teacher, or [you fill in the blank here]. Most likely the people will admire his work so much that he will want to continue even harder and will appreciate these vegetables even more (hopefully enough to eat them). It’s a great idea to share with friends who can grow their own gardens from what you bring them. And I always say, the more gardens, the better.
