Gardening with Kids: A Fun and Rewarding Family Activity

At Love and Vegetables, we believe the garden is one of the best classrooms in the world. Gardening with kids isn’t just about planting seeds—it’s about planting memories, life skills, and a deep appreciation for the earth. This guide is your go-to resource for making gardening fun, educational, and easy to start with your little ones.

Why Garden with Kids?

• Hands-on learning: Teaches science, math, and patience

• Builds healthy habits: Encourages outdoor play and trying new vegetables

• Fosters responsibility: Kids learn to care for something over time

• Creates connection: Bond as a family while working in the soil

Plus, kids are more likely to eat what they grow—so get ready for some surprise veggie lovers.

Kid-Friendly Crops to Grow

When gardening with children, choose fast-growing, colorful, and easy-to-handle crops:

• Snap peas – Sweet, crunchy, and easy to pick

• Radishes – Quick to grow (10–20 days)

• Sunflowers – Big payoff with giant blooms

• Lettuce – Easy and forgiving

• Pumpkins – For the long game and big fun

• Cherry tomatoes – Bite-sized and prolific

• Zinnias or marigolds – Add beauty and bring in pollinators

Our Kids Collection seed packs are designed just for these types of crops.

Make It a Game: Ideas for Engagement

• Planting race: Who can make the neatest row?

• Garden scavenger hunt: Find a worm, a seedling, a flower, etc.

• Garden journal: Track what you planted, draw sprouts, and record harvests

• Naming plants: Let kids name their veggies and check in on them daily

• Story time in the garden: Read outside while plants grow

Tips for a Successful Kids’ Garden

• Start small—containers or a 4x4 bed is plenty

• Let them get messy—it’s part of the fun

• Give kids their own tools and gloves

• Watering can be their daily job

• Use labels with pictures for pre-readers

Teaching Life Lessons

Gardening naturally introduces themes like:

• Patience – Seeds take time

• Failure – Not everything will grow, and that’s okay

• Gratitude – For the earth, the rain, the food

• Cycle of life – From seed to sprout to compost

These small moments of care and observation can leave a big impact.

Create a Garden Routine

Make gardening part of your family’s rhythm:

• Water every morning or after dinner

• Visit the garden after school

• Make harvesting and snacking a weekend activity

• Turn garden chores into mini-adventures

Consistency turns this into a habit—and a lifelong love.

Make It Colorful, Creative, and Fun

• Paint rocks to mark plants

• Build a bean teepee or sunflower fort

• Use kid-decorated pots and signs

• Host a backyard “harvest party” at season’s end

Let the garden reflect your child’s personality.

Start with a Seed Pack

Our Garden Heroes Kids Collection is designed to be exciting, educational, and easy to grow—plus the packaging and characters are made to be collectible. Let kids pick their favorite veggies and get their hands in the dirt.

Love and Vegetables: Helping families grow together—one seed, one lesson, one laugh at a time.