Easy Kids Gardening Plants & Projects

Kids gardening offers so much fun! Introduce children to the delights of digging in the dirt, spotting pollinators perched on plants, crunching fresh carrots and more with kids gardening activities. Growing flowering plants, and fruits and vegetables opens up a world of joy, learning, and wonder for them and you. And once the enchantment begins, a love of gardening will blossom!

Tips for Gardening with Kids

Your little ones will enjoy having their own tools. Not plastic toys, but real trowels, hoes and such downsized to fit smaller hands.
Try to set aside an area just for your young gardeners. It will help them "connect" with what they plant.
Let your gardeners-in-training experience as much as they want. Show them what to do, but let them do it. (You will probably want to prepare the site beforehand so they can easily dig holes for planting.)
If you can, let your young gardeners choose some of the plants. Limit the choices by saying "Which color of..." or "Do you want this one or that one?"
Expect muddy, happy kids. You too if you've given a child a garden hose and stand too close!
You may want to have a jar handy to collect any bugs or worms to study. Keeping a journal together can be fun too.

A Kids Gardening Plant Menu

There are a myriad of plants you can grow with toddlers, tweens, and teens. Choose plants together, so young ones are part of the decision making process. Easygoing plants that flower or fruit in a short period are most favorable, especially those that offer features such as visual interest, pollinator-friendly, great for cut flowers, or fragrant blooms. The following reliable performers will bring satisfaction, success, and some hidden science lessons as well!

Immediate Impact with Annuals
It’s hard to beat annuals for a first gardening experience. They’ll yield lots of flowers to enjoy, are easy to care for and are in good supply at local nurseries and garden centers. Some favorites include Alyssum with its honey-scented blooms, daisy-like Cosmos flowers that are loved by pollinators, and bright colored Marigolds which are wonderful in bouquets.

Long-Lasting Perennials
Expand the options with amazing perennials, which are long-lived, durable and encompass a wide range of colors, shapes and textures. Bee Balm is an attractive fragrant plant that is a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Tough and beautiful, Coneflowers are cheerful wildflowers that host beneficial insects. Another popular perennial for beginning gardeners is Peony, with oversized, ruffled blooms that are stunning as cut flowers.

Round out the plant “menu” with some of our tried and true classics that are perfect for beginning gardeners. Not sure which plants to choose? We also offer pre-planned theme gardens. The starter garden, designed to be a garden learning experience, includes 24 plants, two layout options and detailed planting instructions. It’s perfect for group growing.

Easy-to-Grow Fruits & Vegetables
Quick ripening, no fuss fruits and vegetables are sure to spark curiosity and excitement with young gardeners. Those that are easy to pick and eat from the garden are best. Plant some purple carrots, radishes, snap peas and grape tomatoes. Harvesting and sampling fresh produce is an indescribable experience. And it’s also a hands-on lesson about where our food comes from. It’s a kids gardening must!

Learning to Grow & Growing to Learn

Playing in the dirt may begin in childhood, but it continues indefinitely for gardeners! There is always something new to grow, and in growing, something new to discover. When you instill this connection with nature in children, you encourage a love of gardening to last a lifetime.