Gardening is a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables. With my kids “You grew that!” is likely to get them to try something new. “This has ingredients from your garden” can lead to a no-fuss dinner. Snacks are eaten in the garden all summer long. We are creating good eaters by showing our kids the awesomeness of the garden and you can too!
Include Kids from the Very Beginning
There is something fascinating about planting a seed and watching it sprout and grow. Kids are very capable of planting seeds, transplanting plants, watering, and harvesting. Involving them from the very beginning will make them more invested in the process.
Give the Garden Some Color
Until I started buying heirloom seeds, I had no idea you could grow red carrots, purple beans, blue kale, and pink celery. Our garden is full of unique colored fruits and vegetables that seem to be more appealing to our kids. We get most of our seeds from Baker Creek. Their free catalog will show you an amazing variety of food you can grow and kids will love to chose their favorites. Don’t underestimate the excitement of growing something different.
Make it Whimsical
Making the garden whimsical with fairy gardens, stepping stones, and pops of color can make it even more exciting. Make your garden a place the kids want to be. If the garden is fun, your kids will be more likely to want to see it every day. You can also give them their own garden space or create a teepee with for a climbing plant variety. We love to grow purple podded beans on a teepee to create a fort in the garden.
The Surprise Factor
There is something so satisfying about pulling a carrot out of the ground. You don’t know how big it will be or what shape it will have grown into. Kids love to grow things that are hidden beneath the soil. We especially like carrots and radishes because they can be eaten fresh. We have a hard time getting carrots to the end of the season because all 3 of our littles insist on picking one every day.
Summertime Snacks
We once put our baby in the lettuce patch and let him go to town. He ate handfuls of lettuce. If the kids are in the garden with me, you better believe they are snacking on something. The best part of eating fresh from the garden is that you have an amazing variety at your fingertips. You don’t have to sit down with a plate of salad, you can eat a leaf of lettuce, a carrot, a pepper, and some peas. Let your kids snack their way through the garden and you won’t need to feed them till dinner.
Cook Together
The garden can teach so much more than just how to grow food. Kids can learn how to chop, cook, preserve, and eat their harvest. Refrigerator pickles are a great place to start. Cucumbers are easy to slice and the recipe is simple. Our kids also love making a fresh salad, dilly beans, zucchini bread, and smoothies with kale or spinach. Kids take a lot of pride in their work, so they are likely to at least try something they have made or grown themselves.
Whether you are making your garden more kid-friendly or letting your kids plant a garden of their own, I hope this advice helps. Get your kiddos in the garden and start enjoying!
