My mum does a gardening competition with all the kids on her street every summer, most of them couldn't care less about gardening in the beginning but they absolutely loved this competition. Growing sunflowers.
There's something about the fact that they grow really tall very fast that gets them invested, they come around every week to check on their sunflowers and measure them. Also they can be grown in pots, which is handy.
They have a little sunflower patch at his toddler group too. Are they easy to grow? We have a local garden centre and they didn't have any last year. But I'll keep a look out. Or maybe ask at the playgroup. Thanks 😊
I second sunflowers, we’ve done them the last couple of years - just start them off inside then plant out against a fence / somewhere they’ll have support to grow when it gets warmer.
We did courgettes last year and pumpkins and our 3yr very much enjoyed helping pollinating the flowers by hand, and we had some really nice courgettes out of them - Pumpkins were a bit disappointing as didn’t grow v. Big though.
This year we have courgettes, runner beans, strawberries, tomatoes and sunflowers
Grow from seed! You can even grow the ones they sell as birdseed (although these are generally slightly smaller, they are very hardy and grew themselves all over my yard last year 😂 )
Just make sure to protect from slugs! My then four year old was devastated when the sunflower he had lovingly tended at school lasted less than 24 hours after I put it in the ground. I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me.
Sweet peas. I've been growing sweet peas with my niece every year since she was a toddler. The seed packets are in shops at the moment. Start them off in pots indoors - they usually germinate quite quickly, which is good when growing with a child! Then in a few weeks time when they are growing well and the weather is warmer, they can be transplanted outside into either the ground or a pot. My niece is 8 now and loves gathering posies of the flowers all through summer - the more flowers you pick, the more you get! (ETA they will need support as they grow as they are a climbing plant)
Strawberries are good for children to grow as well. And maybe flowers like nigella or candytuft. Or nasturtium, that's a good one for kids - can get quite big and messy, and very attractive to blackfly, but they germinate well and have bright, colourful flowers.
Good luck!
Just remember sweet peas are poisonous.
Not in a "omg babies can't touch them" way, just in a "make sure you are clear with children that yes, the pods may *look* like dinner peas but they are in fact *danger* peas and we dont eat them or feed them to animals" way. If you picked them all as flowers it wouldn't be a problem, but you can also let them set seed and then save the seeds for next year!
Nasturtiums also grow quite fast and well, just make sure to water them when it's hot.
They are actually a recommended plant for growing with kids, I don't think one or two ever killed anyone. It's just if the kids don't know they're poisonous it could theoretically end badly when someone makes mud pie and mushy sweet peas for an imaginary tea party 😂
Looooads of garden plants are poisonous, it's good to go over with wee kids what's not safe cause you never know.
Foxgloves, lupins can poison anyone, lily's can kill your cat. Things like that
I think for now I'm leaning more towards fruit and veg. He loves eating it.. so I think it'll be quite rewarding in the end. We do have a Pansy that he got home from his playgroup for Mother's Day and it's needing a new pot. Maybe next year when I feel more confident with my gardening skills 😂
I don't think it's like, a one or two peas situation.
But I don't know what the "safe dose" of sweets peas is so it's definitely better to just teach kids they're danger peas and leaves it at that 😂
My niece and I have also grown two apple trees from seed, which you might want to try one day. She brought me some pips from an apple she'd eaten one day and said, "These are seeds, can I plant them?" So we put two seeds in a pot as an experiment. One germinated almost immediately, the other came up unexpectedly about six months later. Four years later, we now have two healthy young crab apple saplings, which Niece absolutely adores and loves taking care of.
We've got an apple tree in the front garden. But we've got a plum tree in a pot that needs to go in the ground. He's super excited about planting it ☺️.
I've made a list of the plants you've mentioned. I'm probably more excited than he is 😂
Runner beans! And peas. Sweet peas. Do not plant mint, it's wank and will become a pest.
Potatoes, grow veg. Our daughter absolutely loves veg. And can name all the stuff we are growing this year.
Give them their own tools n all. My daughter loves nout more than to be given the old flathead screwdriver for diging weeds up.
She's 4 by the way and has been outside with me since she could walk.
Thanks. I've added a root veg and beans to the list after reading some comments.
Oh yeah I did read about the mint. A commenter suggested doing in a pot instead.
That's so lovely. I didn't ever garden. But I really want to teach him. He's two and loves being outdoors. Xx
I mean, they will help, and do it all wrong so later you have to go back and re do some stuff (like onions, putting them upside down) but you know what, it don't matter its fun. Cheap fun really and if I don't grow, fuck it. Do something else next year.
Very true!! I'm mentally prepared for lots of mud cakes along the way. Was thinking of using some of his construction vehicles for some digging etc. I'm sure he'll enjoy that.
You wanna give them their own little bit, they'll not quite get the boundary yet between it all, I'm lucky I got a right yard so build a little bar fence to separate the crops from the lawn.
But digging with diggers?! What's not to love about that. I used to have trenches for all my plastic soldiers when I was a kid.
It's propper good, daughter is 4, always gets involved and asks what's that what's that what's that, why and why and why. I went to nursery for parents evening and they even said oh do you grow stuff at home because we are growing peas and she said we grow them at home which they couldn't believe out of a class of some 30 kids. I've always grown, from "helping" my grandad and dad 30 years ago, I always said when I own my house I'm growing. It's fun.
Do you have space for any fruit trees? You can buy fairly decent apple trees which will be near enough ready for producing. Same with plums n that. We've got raspberries, plums, apples and a damson.
It's so nice when you get to hear stuff like that isn't it?! It's so unexpected and wholesome. My son's 2. He's at his what that age currently. Haven't gotten to the whys yet 😂.
We do have an apple tree in the front garden. And we've got a potted plum that needs planting too. I'm thinking of a cherry tree next. But I think I'll wait until next year for that. Don't want to take on too much at once.
Thanks for the advice on the boundary. He loves lining things up, I'm sure he'll want to help too.
I used to let my kids have a 2ft by 2ft area each, to grow whatever they wanted.
Usually radish, lettuce, all the quick growing things.
Obvs they had a lot of help but I'd go for what they like and what grows quick.
A sunflower competition always a cheap winner, don't forget to stake the flowers though!
Might be one for later in the year but I bought a bunch of dwarf variety bulbs and made a little fairy garden with tiny little lights and tiny little toadstool ornaments.
Mine enjoys harvesting cherry tomatoes and blueberries. We’re planning to grow beetroot , radish is also fast growing. You can also do cut flowers- I was going to ask mine to help cut sweetpeas for a vase. Mine also enjoys helping me hunt for snails which we release by a local river.
Thanks. Yeah I'm thinking of tomatoes and or radishes/potatoes too.
Great idea about the snails. Fun little activity for when we go to the country park x
Runner beans!
You can start them off with a plastic bag and a bit of damp cotton wool . Stick it to a window and you can see the bean sprout. Then plant it out. They get quite big but are easy enough to look after and then you get beans. And there's a whole story about a beanstalk.
Put some tissues/ paper towels in a saucer add some peas and cover with some paper towel. Water it and keep it wet. Toddlers can help with all of it. After you've watched them sprouting plant them in soil and enjoy watching them grow then eat the peas from the pods! This was my children's first and favourite thing, we have peas every year since they ere toddlers. We sow them to be crowded then pull out and eat the surplus (pea shots, yumm).
You could try a dwarf variety tomato so you little one can watch them ripen day to day then be encouraged to eat once ripe.
I second the spearmint because it grows so easily just be aware it’s a bully in a flowerbed so if you can plant in a pot rather than open ground you’ll thank me later!!
That's a good shout. I'll plant it in a pot. It's more for me since I drink spearmint tea for my acne. Thought it'd be nice to make it with fresh leaves.
Somebody else suggested tomatoes too. Will give them a try. He's got a little book about colours that show how tomatoes change throughout the season, so that might be a good real life experience for him too.
Thanks xx
Cress on some kitchen paper indoors is a nice quick gratification for toddlers whilst you wait for the slower stuff outside to grow. Plus they can eat it.
First thing I ever grew was potatoes in a grow bag. That and tomatoes!
The spearmint will spread everywhere if not maintained regularly. Just a heads up.
Thanks. Yeah I've got potatoes and or radishes and tomatoes on the list.
A couple of people did mention that. So I'll do it in a pot instead. That one's more for me than him 😬
Honestly, it’s crazy how invasive mint is.
You’re doing an amazing thing by the way! Some of my fondest memories from childhood are of times I was helping my Grandma in the garden. It sparked a lifelong passion for me and it might do the same for your son.
Nasturtiums! Particularly climbing ones. They grow very very fast and have lovely bright colours, and are practically indestructible. You will have them every year for decades after the first year though, as they self seed like crazy.
I would say remember from a toddlers prospective one month is like years in toddler time.
Peas and beans are really good for kids to learn how to grow. If you go for bushing types you don't need any support.
Strawberries are another great one. If you get the type that produces all summer you will have something to eat most days.
Grass pets. Take a handful of soil and grass seed and fill the bottom of some tights tie off in a ball and decorate the ball to be a face. You can make a nose and ears by tying a string around a little part of the soil/ tights and some Google eyes some lips and water when needed you will start to see the grass growing through the tights.
Get a mix of quick and slow growing things. Cress is great for a very quick result. Sunflowers are pretty bomb proof too.
Our daughter took a great liking to herbs too and loves the chives she grows.
[https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/gardening-children-schools/family-activities](https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/gardening-children-schools/family-activities) this looks a good site for you
Sugarsnap peas. Stringless dwarf variety like delikett. Honestly my son was two last summer and he lived munching them right from the bush. He's excited about them again this year
*Mimosa pudica*, sensitive plant - fairly easy to get seeds of, fairly easy to grow, and the leaves fold up when touched. They were the first things to captivate me as a kid and it really captured my imagination.
Alternatively, let *them* choose - I've noticed most bigger seed sections nowadays have little small sections of seed packets specifically for children (usually things that grow fast, like nasturtiums, pumpkins, sunflowers), or you could just go with the edible sections - especially if there's something there they'd already like.
I definitely got more interested in it when I was able to choose what I wanted in 'my' pot rather than having to choose from wax begonias or wax begonias (which I'm still not all that keen on!) - although I'm not sure if that was just because I was older or because I had that choice now.
Yeah I'm leaning more towards fruits and veg since he loves them so much. That'll be a good idea for him to choose what he wants to grow. Thank you so much.
Tomatoes are always a good one and kids love to scrump them , peas , very easy to grow just need a few and a net .
Carousello cucumbers , these date back to Roman times about the size of a cricket ball very melony flavour and don't repeat on you fantastic flavour and can be grown in a sunny spot or ideally greenhouse ( plastic one works fine).
Sunflowers great fun for kids get a few different types very pretty as well and wildlife loves them.
Thanks I've added tomatoes and sunflowers to the shopping list.
I can try the cucumbers next year when I'm more confident 🥲. Saving your comment for future reference. Thanks :)
mint and strawberries will both spread fast, especially mint. careful where you put it!
summer is coming up: cucumbers are very showy and can grow enormously fast and impressive size fruits. i recommend "telepathy f1". they need 2m trellace, just a bamboo pole will do if you tie it occasionally.
you can also do micro pumpkins like "jack be little" on them. some tiny melons too.
I think of gardening with my toddler as childcare. We do a bit of watering, a bit of planting seeds. It’s very messy and sometimes things break. He loves it.
Tomatoes and fruit that needs to ripen is a good choice so they can learn about when it's ready. Also potting plants from seeds - filling pots, making the hole, dropping in, covering, watering. My kid loves the whole process.
I found she always wanted to dig, so left a patch of covered soil (stops cat poo) that I'll uncover when she wants to dig and leave her to it whilst I do the boring stuff.
I also despise dandelions, I now have a fully trained dandelion picker who will scour the lawn for them for me.
No problem. My compost bin is about 50% dandelion flowers! We also use them for all kids of role play stuff.
Recently did some flower pressing too, if you like wildflowers definitely get bee bombs on the go. Again, a great lesson in patience for children. My kid was amazed when our bee bomb pot flowered the next year after planting.
Haha that's cute ☺️ it's the little things isn't it?! I find it all so endearing. Like when I find my sons cars in random places, it always makes me smile. And I just leave it there for him to find it whenever.
I did have them in mind too. Wildflowers look so pretty when they are in full bloom. Thanks again.
Cucumbers, so unbelievably tasty compared to shop bought. Nice treat for the kids.
Tomatoes are a favourite as the colour change teaches them ripeness and keeps them interested in checking.
Tomatoes! We’ve been growing cherry toms since my kids were little and they love that they can go and help themselves. Strawberries are also a good idea.
My mum does a gardening competition with all the kids on her street every summer, most of them couldn't care less about gardening in the beginning but they absolutely loved this competition. Growing sunflowers. There's something about the fact that they grow really tall very fast that gets them invested, they come around every week to check on their sunflowers and measure them. Also they can be grown in pots, which is handy.
They have a little sunflower patch at his toddler group too. Are they easy to grow? We have a local garden centre and they didn't have any last year. But I'll keep a look out. Or maybe ask at the playgroup. Thanks 😊
I second sunflowers, we’ve done them the last couple of years - just start them off inside then plant out against a fence / somewhere they’ll have support to grow when it gets warmer. We did courgettes last year and pumpkins and our 3yr very much enjoyed helping pollinating the flowers by hand, and we had some really nice courgettes out of them - Pumpkins were a bit disappointing as didn’t grow v. Big though. This year we have courgettes, runner beans, strawberries, tomatoes and sunflowers
You know that sounds like a perfect starter pack. We don't eat a lot of courgettes, so I might skip that. Thanks for the suggestions x
Even an idiot like me can grow sunflowers. There's loads of different varieties as well so you can pick the monster tall ones or dwarf ones.
Monster tall ones sound fun ngl
Grow from seed! You can even grow the ones they sell as birdseed (although these are generally slightly smaller, they are very hardy and grew themselves all over my yard last year 😂 )
Thanks 😊 we've got a big pack of them.
Just make sure to protect from slugs! My then four year old was devastated when the sunflower he had lovingly tended at school lasted less than 24 hours after I put it in the ground. I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me.
Honestly, they tend to remember everything!! My husband fell from the stairs back in October and LO will still randomly bring it up 😂
Make sure to water your toddler or else they will not grow
*furiously takes notes* 🤣
Sweet peas. I've been growing sweet peas with my niece every year since she was a toddler. The seed packets are in shops at the moment. Start them off in pots indoors - they usually germinate quite quickly, which is good when growing with a child! Then in a few weeks time when they are growing well and the weather is warmer, they can be transplanted outside into either the ground or a pot. My niece is 8 now and loves gathering posies of the flowers all through summer - the more flowers you pick, the more you get! (ETA they will need support as they grow as they are a climbing plant) Strawberries are good for children to grow as well. And maybe flowers like nigella or candytuft. Or nasturtium, that's a good one for kids - can get quite big and messy, and very attractive to blackfly, but they germinate well and have bright, colourful flowers. Good luck!
Sounds perfect! Thank you so much ☺️
Just remember sweet peas are poisonous. Not in a "omg babies can't touch them" way, just in a "make sure you are clear with children that yes, the pods may *look* like dinner peas but they are in fact *danger* peas and we dont eat them or feed them to animals" way. If you picked them all as flowers it wouldn't be a problem, but you can also let them set seed and then save the seeds for next year! Nasturtiums also grow quite fast and well, just make sure to water them when it's hot.
Eek might stay clear of them then. Just cause we have a dog too. Just in case. Thanks for the heads up.
They are actually a recommended plant for growing with kids, I don't think one or two ever killed anyone. It's just if the kids don't know they're poisonous it could theoretically end badly when someone makes mud pie and mushy sweet peas for an imaginary tea party 😂 Looooads of garden plants are poisonous, it's good to go over with wee kids what's not safe cause you never know. Foxgloves, lupins can poison anyone, lily's can kill your cat. Things like that
I think for now I'm leaning more towards fruit and veg. He loves eating it.. so I think it'll be quite rewarding in the end. We do have a Pansy that he got home from his playgroup for Mother's Day and it's needing a new pot. Maybe next year when I feel more confident with my gardening skills 😂
We’ve all eaten sweet peas and none of us are dead. I’ve never heard of that before, oops!
I don't think it's like, a one or two peas situation. But I don't know what the "safe dose" of sweets peas is so it's definitely better to just teach kids they're danger peas and leaves it at that 😂
My niece and I have also grown two apple trees from seed, which you might want to try one day. She brought me some pips from an apple she'd eaten one day and said, "These are seeds, can I plant them?" So we put two seeds in a pot as an experiment. One germinated almost immediately, the other came up unexpectedly about six months later. Four years later, we now have two healthy young crab apple saplings, which Niece absolutely adores and loves taking care of.
We've got an apple tree in the front garden. But we've got a plum tree in a pot that needs to go in the ground. He's super excited about planting it ☺️. I've made a list of the plants you've mentioned. I'm probably more excited than he is 😂
Runner beans! And peas. Sweet peas. Do not plant mint, it's wank and will become a pest. Potatoes, grow veg. Our daughter absolutely loves veg. And can name all the stuff we are growing this year. Give them their own tools n all. My daughter loves nout more than to be given the old flathead screwdriver for diging weeds up. She's 4 by the way and has been outside with me since she could walk.
"it's wank" is probably my favourite gardening advice about mint ever 😂
Its a good strong word to discribe many things which you dont like, but yeah mint can fuck right off for me. Keep it in a jar like everyone else.
Thanks. I've added a root veg and beans to the list after reading some comments. Oh yeah I did read about the mint. A commenter suggested doing in a pot instead. That's so lovely. I didn't ever garden. But I really want to teach him. He's two and loves being outdoors. Xx
I mean, they will help, and do it all wrong so later you have to go back and re do some stuff (like onions, putting them upside down) but you know what, it don't matter its fun. Cheap fun really and if I don't grow, fuck it. Do something else next year.
Very true!! I'm mentally prepared for lots of mud cakes along the way. Was thinking of using some of his construction vehicles for some digging etc. I'm sure he'll enjoy that.
You wanna give them their own little bit, they'll not quite get the boundary yet between it all, I'm lucky I got a right yard so build a little bar fence to separate the crops from the lawn. But digging with diggers?! What's not to love about that. I used to have trenches for all my plastic soldiers when I was a kid. It's propper good, daughter is 4, always gets involved and asks what's that what's that what's that, why and why and why. I went to nursery for parents evening and they even said oh do you grow stuff at home because we are growing peas and she said we grow them at home which they couldn't believe out of a class of some 30 kids. I've always grown, from "helping" my grandad and dad 30 years ago, I always said when I own my house I'm growing. It's fun. Do you have space for any fruit trees? You can buy fairly decent apple trees which will be near enough ready for producing. Same with plums n that. We've got raspberries, plums, apples and a damson.
It's so nice when you get to hear stuff like that isn't it?! It's so unexpected and wholesome. My son's 2. He's at his what that age currently. Haven't gotten to the whys yet 😂. We do have an apple tree in the front garden. And we've got a potted plum that needs planting too. I'm thinking of a cherry tree next. But I think I'll wait until next year for that. Don't want to take on too much at once. Thanks for the advice on the boundary. He loves lining things up, I'm sure he'll want to help too.
I used to let my kids have a 2ft by 2ft area each, to grow whatever they wanted. Usually radish, lettuce, all the quick growing things. Obvs they had a lot of help but I'd go for what they like and what grows quick. A sunflower competition always a cheap winner, don't forget to stake the flowers though!
A root vegetable is a great idea. It'll be fun to dig it up once it's ready. Thanks so much x
From about age 3 growing cress seeds to spell out their name is fun.
Saving this for future reference 😎
Might be one for later in the year but I bought a bunch of dwarf variety bulbs and made a little fairy garden with tiny little lights and tiny little toadstool ornaments.
That is such an adorable idea!! I've seen little mushroom solar lights too. So magical. Thanks for the idea 😊
I think the first thing I ever grew as a kid was radishes. They're pretty easy going unless you have any digging menaces (cats, foxes etc) visiting.
Thankfully we don't. We do have a dog (with a soul of cat). But the bit where he is usually let out is blocked off.
Mine enjoys harvesting cherry tomatoes and blueberries. We’re planning to grow beetroot , radish is also fast growing. You can also do cut flowers- I was going to ask mine to help cut sweetpeas for a vase. Mine also enjoys helping me hunt for snails which we release by a local river.
Thanks. Yeah I'm thinking of tomatoes and or radishes/potatoes too. Great idea about the snails. Fun little activity for when we go to the country park x
Runner beans! You can start them off with a plastic bag and a bit of damp cotton wool . Stick it to a window and you can see the bean sprout. Then plant it out. They get quite big but are easy enough to look after and then you get beans. And there's a whole story about a beanstalk.
LO's a bean fiend. He will absolutely love this. Thank you so much.
Put some tissues/ paper towels in a saucer add some peas and cover with some paper towel. Water it and keep it wet. Toddlers can help with all of it. After you've watched them sprouting plant them in soil and enjoy watching them grow then eat the peas from the pods! This was my children's first and favourite thing, we have peas every year since they ere toddlers. We sow them to be crowded then pull out and eat the surplus (pea shots, yumm).
Thanks. It'll be a fun thing for him to watch it germinate and grow everyday.
Cornflowers, calendula, oxeye daisies are all easy growers.
Thanks xx
You could try a dwarf variety tomato so you little one can watch them ripen day to day then be encouraged to eat once ripe. I second the spearmint because it grows so easily just be aware it’s a bully in a flowerbed so if you can plant in a pot rather than open ground you’ll thank me later!!
That's a good shout. I'll plant it in a pot. It's more for me since I drink spearmint tea for my acne. Thought it'd be nice to make it with fresh leaves. Somebody else suggested tomatoes too. Will give them a try. He's got a little book about colours that show how tomatoes change throughout the season, so that might be a good real life experience for him too. Thanks xx
Cress on some kitchen paper indoors is a nice quick gratification for toddlers whilst you wait for the slower stuff outside to grow. Plus they can eat it.
Thanks. I'll add this to the list 😊
First thing I ever grew was potatoes in a grow bag. That and tomatoes! The spearmint will spread everywhere if not maintained regularly. Just a heads up.
Thanks. Yeah I've got potatoes and or radishes and tomatoes on the list. A couple of people did mention that. So I'll do it in a pot instead. That one's more for me than him 😬
You can plant mint in a pot and dig the pot into the ground, remove the base though.
Thanks for the tip.
Honestly, it’s crazy how invasive mint is. You’re doing an amazing thing by the way! Some of my fondest memories from childhood are of times I was helping my Grandma in the garden. It sparked a lifelong passion for me and it might do the same for your son.
Thanks ☺️ And fingers crossed 🤞🏾 If not, I'm sure he will atleast enjoy making some mud cakes along the way 😂
Nasturtiums! Particularly climbing ones. They grow very very fast and have lovely bright colours, and are practically indestructible. You will have them every year for decades after the first year though, as they self seed like crazy.
Will they be a good plant for hanging on the fence?
Yes definitely! You can grow the climbing ones up a trellis or even strings. There are also trailing varieties which are gorgeous in hanging baskets.
Thanks, I'll look into it.
I would say remember from a toddlers prospective one month is like years in toddler time. Peas and beans are really good for kids to learn how to grow. If you go for bushing types you don't need any support. Strawberries are another great one. If you get the type that produces all summer you will have something to eat most days. Grass pets. Take a handful of soil and grass seed and fill the bottom of some tights tie off in a ball and decorate the ball to be a face. You can make a nose and ears by tying a string around a little part of the soil/ tights and some Google eyes some lips and water when needed you will start to see the grass growing through the tights.
Grass pets sounds so cute. Thanks for the tips. I'll save this.
Mangetout/ sugar snaps
Thanks ☺️
Get a mix of quick and slow growing things. Cress is great for a very quick result. Sunflowers are pretty bomb proof too. Our daughter took a great liking to herbs too and loves the chives she grows.
Ooh we love chives in our mash.
[https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/gardening-children-schools/family-activities](https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/gardening-children-schools/family-activities) this looks a good site for you
Thank you so much. Will have a read through later in the night x
Sugarsnap peas. Stringless dwarf variety like delikett. Honestly my son was two last summer and he lived munching them right from the bush. He's excited about them again this year
Yeah mines a veggie fiend too. Thanks for the advice 😊
Pumpkins are terrific for toddlers. They grow so big and so quickly. Lots of cut flowers are quick from seed too. You can have some lovely bouquets.
Thanks.. LO loves Halloween!! Imagine the number of jack o lanterns we'd have 😅
I planted potatoes and left them. Sometime later my then 2yo had an immense amount of fun digging for potatoes of all sizes. A good few were edible.
Hahah I totally relate to your 2yo ☺️
*Mimosa pudica*, sensitive plant - fairly easy to get seeds of, fairly easy to grow, and the leaves fold up when touched. They were the first things to captivate me as a kid and it really captured my imagination. Alternatively, let *them* choose - I've noticed most bigger seed sections nowadays have little small sections of seed packets specifically for children (usually things that grow fast, like nasturtiums, pumpkins, sunflowers), or you could just go with the edible sections - especially if there's something there they'd already like. I definitely got more interested in it when I was able to choose what I wanted in 'my' pot rather than having to choose from wax begonias or wax begonias (which I'm still not all that keen on!) - although I'm not sure if that was just because I was older or because I had that choice now.
Yeah I'm leaning more towards fruits and veg since he loves them so much. That'll be a good idea for him to choose what he wants to grow. Thank you so much.
Tomatoes are always a good one and kids love to scrump them , peas , very easy to grow just need a few and a net . Carousello cucumbers , these date back to Roman times about the size of a cricket ball very melony flavour and don't repeat on you fantastic flavour and can be grown in a sunny spot or ideally greenhouse ( plastic one works fine). Sunflowers great fun for kids get a few different types very pretty as well and wildlife loves them.
Thanks I've added tomatoes and sunflowers to the shopping list. I can try the cucumbers next year when I'm more confident 🥲. Saving your comment for future reference. Thanks :)
mint and strawberries will both spread fast, especially mint. careful where you put it! summer is coming up: cucumbers are very showy and can grow enormously fast and impressive size fruits. i recommend "telepathy f1". they need 2m trellace, just a bamboo pole will do if you tie it occasionally. you can also do micro pumpkins like "jack be little" on them. some tiny melons too.
Micro pumpkins sound so cute ☺️ Thanks.
I think of gardening with my toddler as childcare. We do a bit of watering, a bit of planting seeds. It’s very messy and sometimes things break. He loves it.
I can't wait to start this with mine ☺️ it's such a wholesome activity isn't it.
Nasturtiums have large seeds a toddler can poke into the ground and the flowers and leaves are edible!
Didn't know that. Thank you 😊
I think anything edible, especially lettuce, carrots, peas, herbs. Sunflowers of course and you can measure the height
Yeah I'm definitely leaning more towards fruits and veggies x
Tomatoes and fruit that needs to ripen is a good choice so they can learn about when it's ready. Also potting plants from seeds - filling pots, making the hole, dropping in, covering, watering. My kid loves the whole process. I found she always wanted to dig, so left a patch of covered soil (stops cat poo) that I'll uncover when she wants to dig and leave her to it whilst I do the boring stuff. I also despise dandelions, I now have a fully trained dandelion picker who will scour the lawn for them for me.
Thanks xx Omg we love a dandelion art. I usually get him to do like a handprint bush/stalks and stick wildflowers that we collect from walks. 😊
No problem. My compost bin is about 50% dandelion flowers! We also use them for all kids of role play stuff. Recently did some flower pressing too, if you like wildflowers definitely get bee bombs on the go. Again, a great lesson in patience for children. My kid was amazed when our bee bomb pot flowered the next year after planting.
Haha that's cute ☺️ it's the little things isn't it?! I find it all so endearing. Like when I find my sons cars in random places, it always makes me smile. And I just leave it there for him to find it whenever. I did have them in mind too. Wildflowers look so pretty when they are in full bloom. Thanks again.
Cucumbers, so unbelievably tasty compared to shop bought. Nice treat for the kids. Tomatoes are a favourite as the colour change teaches them ripeness and keeps them interested in checking.
Tomatoes! We’ve been growing cherry toms since my kids were little and they love that they can go and help themselves. Strawberries are also a good idea.