Children and Gardening: Designing a Kid Friendly Garden

Gardening can be seen by kids as either a chore or a fun activity. If you want to create a summer time activity that will entertain, educate and provide tasty treats for your kids then consider building a "Kinder Garden." These gardens are set up to make it easy for young children to learn about important science concepts as well as grow something healthy and tasty.

The Kinder Garden (Child Garden)

A Kinder Garden is basically a small vegetable garden that is designed with kids in mind. The paths between rows are wider, they contain plants that produce foods that kids will love, they provide parents with lot of opportunities to enrich their children's understanding of important scientific concepts and they provide kids with hours of summer fun.

How Much Space Do You Need

Kinder gardens don't have to be large. In fact, a fire escape or even a windowsill is enough space for a small one. The key to a successful Kinder Garden is good soil, proper drainage and lots of sunshine.

Supplies You Will Need

To grow your Kinder Garden you will need dirt, seeds, watering can, small hand held gardening tools, stakes, containers (for indoor or patio gardens) and a garden plot. For larger gardens you will also need a hose, a rake, roto-tiller and a hoe. If you are starting your garden late in the season, you have the option of buying pre-started vegetable plants.

Starting Your Seeds

The first activity that you can do with your child is to start the seeds. Starting the seeds in April or May can ensure that the plants will bear fruit or vegetables by the end of the growing season. Starting a seed is simple. All you have to do is buying a starter flat, filling each cup with dirt, inserting a seed, water and place under a heat lamp or in a greenhouse. The key is to keep the seedlings at about 70+ degrees. This will encourage them to sprout.

Lessons that can be learned from this stage include: fine motor skills, measuring skills, and reading skills.

Setting Up Your Kinder Garden