If you are out of ideas for fun activities your child will enjoy, you should consider setting up a children’s vegetable garden instead. Children enjoy engaging activities a lot and gardening is one activity that your children will be fully engrossed with. Gardening is more of a real life activity compared to playing games and toys. Aside from giving the kids a sense of responsibility, gardening also encourages them to spend time outside and enjoy nature and makes them feel proud of themselves as they watch what they have planted grow and produce lots of fruits.
Although putting together a vegetable garden for kids may take a lot of effort, it is nothing you can’t successfully get right when you have the right information and follow-through. To succeed with setting up a children’s vegetable garden, certain things must be put well in place.
In this article, I have listed the 9 top ways to succeed with a children’s vegetable garden. Let’s take a look at them one by one:
1. Choose a Spot that is Safe, Accessible and Fit for Gardening
Your child’s safety should be a top priority at all times. So, the best location for your children’s vegetable garden should be easy to reach, hazard-free, and preferably in your own garden if you have one or somewhere close to your home. This is important for you to be able to keep an eye on them every time they are present there.
Wherever you decide to locate the garden, make sure that it will be a favorable place for plant growth. Specifically, an open space within the reach of sunlight, air, and water which are primary necessities for the growth of any plant.
2. Choose the Right Plants
Children generally love things that fascinate them, therefore, having the right type of plants for your kid’s vegetable garden should be something of interest to them. You may pick vegetables with interesting colors and shapes. This could make gardening more interactive because kids are naturally inquisitive and will want to know more. Plants with a great smell and unique texture are also appealing to kids.
It is also important for you to consider vegetables that are easy to grow. Fast-growing plants and plants that produce many fruits (e.g., tomatoes) are advisable. Vegetables that are fast-growing will quickly yield results, so these can make your child feel proud of him or herself with their progress and might make them want to do more gardening. Aside from those, it’s also necessary that your kids’ vegetable gardens have plants that are not poisonous to avoid any danger.
Vegetables that are edible are the best. Having a great taste is a plus. You can also include fruits and vegetables that your child loves.
3. Child-sized Garden tools Should be Used in Children’s Vegetable Garden
Kid-friendly vegetable gardens should have tools that they can safely work with. You should go for smaller and lightweight tools that are easy to use. These tools are sometimes difficult to come by, but they are more suitable and safe for your children to make use of. You can also choose to customize garden gloves that fit, your child would absolutely love it.
4. Involve the Children at Every step
Since children are the primary users of the garden, their opinion also matters when setting up a children’s vegetable garden. You should walk the children through every step of the garden setup. From the location to the design, to the plants, their opinion must count. This way, you get to unlock the creative part of your child. Teach your kids how to water the growing plant, pull out the weeds growing around the plants, and other important care tips to ensure a healthy plant growth.
5. Work with a Pleasant Design
You could decide to do something different from normal with the garden layout for your little one. You would need to think outside the box to do that. Choose a good design with the child. This provides him/her with a sense of responsibility and ownership. A fence is not essential in a kid’s garden. Although if you need to have one, build a fence that the kid can open on their own.
6. Keep it Fun
Keep it fun and exciting for the child. Allow them to experiment and play. This may include doing gross things that amuse them. For example, playing in the dirt. Take pictures while gardening and track progress by keeping a journal with the child. You can also think of fun games the child can engage in while in the garden. These things do not only help engage the child, it also causes them to look forward to more gardening activities in the future.
7. Consider Raised Beds
Raised beds give a way to effectively manage a small garden space. The soil of raised beds doesn’t easily get compacted and this prevents the plants from getting damaged, which is what we want in a kid’s garden. There are less weeds when using raised beds so the garden can be easily maintained by the kid unlike others.
8. Use Mixed Soil
The secret to a bountiful garden is the soil. Using mixed soil is a good choice for a children’s vegetable garden. Since it is premixed, it already has everything your plant needs to grow, including fertilizers. With this type of soil, you can be sure that your vegetable plants will grow well and fast.
The soil is also free of insects which may later cause damage to the vegetables or even endanger the kid.
9. Hire a Professional
Sometimes it is best to let a professional do it! At the end of the day, not everyone will be able to guide their kids through the process of setting up a garden.With the help of someone that is better at the job, you would not have to struggle with certain decisions.
Apart from guiding you, a professional knows where to get all the things you need including children tools which may be difficult to come by at times. This saves you the stress of having to check out multiple stores for these things.
Hiring someone doesn’t mean you or your kid will be completely shut out of the process, it just helps to establish your thoughts perfectly. That way, you can be rest assured that no mistakes are made and your child will be safe while having maximum fun.
Conclusion
Setting up a children’s vegetable garden is a good option for your kids’ growing years. Not only does it help the kids establish a sense of responsibility and ownership, but it also allows them to enjoy fun, interactive, and engaging activities that can turn into future hobbies.
Although setting up a children’s vegetable garden requires that you pay attention to even the smallest of details to keep the kids away from danger and make it more of a fun activity than a chore, it will surely be worth it once you see them have fun and admire the progress they make!
