Top 10 Tips when Gardening with Children

1. Serene adults with their own enjoyment of the garden provide roles models for the child to imitate. Remember, gardening is caught, not taught!

2. Plan ahead to maximize success. Site the garden in full sun near a water source, and enrich the soil with compost.

3. Easy Does It. Try a small garden plot for starters, 2 x 4 feet or 3 x 3 feet.

4. Quick results are best for short attention spans. For example, try radishes instead of asparagus.

5. Little children tire easily. Let the adults provide the support for the child and do the weeding, but let the kids pick the cukes.

6. The small size of the child calls for appropriately scaled, child - sized tools, providing teaching opportunities for pride of ownership and proper care of tools. Be aware of good quality.

7. Individual adult attention, one-on-one, is a reinforcer in and of itself.

8. External recognition such as a blue ribbon in the Children’s Class of a juried Flower Show, a small cash prize at the Youth Division of the County Fair, or simply a printed certificate at the neighborhood Show & Tell, will be replaced later by pride and self satisfaction.

9. Use the child’s harvest, for example, after the strawberry plants start yielding, take a strawberry shortcake to school for a class treat, or pick some flowers to take to a shut in.

10. Claim your own rewards: renewal of a child-like joy and sense of wonder

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ferry Morse seed packets for children.