Children and Growing Plants

By Toni Cairns Abstract Distraxtions March 07, 2022

Children and Growing Plants

Children are curious about nature the great outdoors and the world we live in. Growing plants is a great way for young children to begin understanding about our natural world.

Gardening with your child offers a great opportunity for communicating and working as part of a team.

Would it be wonderful if we all had the space to 'Plant A Tree To Save Our Sky'

When Outdoors Talk About Plants

Talking to your child about plants, flowers and trees offers a chance to discuss the basic ideas surrounding the circle of life. Watching a seed begin to germinate may seem like magic to a young child, and by carefully observing the various stages of growth they begin to understand it's life cycle and how to nurture a plant well, ensuring they get the right amount of energy from sunshine, water and nutrients.

Owning and caring for a plant offers a child a chance to be responsible, and as they see their plant grow and flourish they are rewarded with its beauty.

Gardening Teaches Many Life Skills

Mindfulness
Patience
Responsibility
Planning
Loyalty
Purpose
Making mistakes is a part of becoming successfulY
You reap what you sow
Empathy

Beginning the Adventure of Ownership

Take your child to a garden center and choose seeds or seedlings this will be the beginning of a new adventure for them.

Tending Caring to the Seed or Seedling

By tending to a plant as it grows will help a child develop life skills learning to care for and look after the things they own.

Waiting and Watching

Watching plants grow and develop from seeds or seedlings, is exciting for a child and seeing such wonder may offer them an interest in growing fresh foods and plants later on in life.

Nurturing

Role of Sunshine
Watering
Nutrients

Quick Starter Ideas for Plants and Children

Cress a fast great beginner

Sprinkle cress seeds over damp tissue
Leave on a well lit windowsill
Cress will start to grow in a few days
Crafty ideas use egg shells remove the tops, clean, draw or paint faces on them, place seeds on to a damp cotton wool ball inside, and watch cress hair grow!

Carrot Tops into Carrot Flowers

Using carrot tops is a fast way to watch the carrot plant flower quickly develop
Cut the top off a carrot about 2.5cm
Stick 2 or more tooth picks into the sides of the stump
Balance on top of a small glass
Fill with water up to but barely touching the stump
Place in light but not direct sunlight
Roots will soon shoot down towards the water so keep adding fresh water every day or so
Shoots will pop out of the top
When plenty of roots appear the child can plant it into some soil

Some Satisfying Ideas for Children to Grow

Tomatoes

Can be grown from seeds*
Or in convenient ready mixed nutrient rich grow bags
Or in pots
You can even buy tomato plants ready to hang in hanging baskets to water regularly
Baby Potatoes
Plant in Spring from mid to end of March to May
Use Seed potatoes - virus free
Chit the seed potatoes by standing in an egg boxes in light dry place, once sprouts are about 2.5-3cm long
Can then place into ground, large deep pots and tubs with drainage or tall grow sacks
If using a grow sack fill the bottom with potting compost 15cm deep
Space each potato apart about 35+cm deepening on pot size may only want one
Make hole sprouts up and cover with 3cm
When foilage appears above soil level, about every 7 to 10 days then cover it with more soil until full
Crop ready from about 12 weeks

Succulents

Succulents are easy growing pretty plants, they may need covering or bringing indoors during winter. With some painted pebbles or rocks will make a cute rockery or transform into a secret fairy garden! If you have a friend who grows succulents ask them for a small piece and pop it into a pot.