April showers, bring May flowers – and right now is the perfect time to plant seeds with your little ones! There are so many fun and exciting ways to start an indoor garden with your children. Planting seedlings inside is a great way to protect young plants from the elements and actively engage young gardeners in the process. Watching plants grow can be a magical and exciting experience for kids (and adults!) and can provide year-round opportunities for children to observe and participate in a plant’s life cycle.
Starting your indoor garden
There are many ways to start your indoor garden but first and foremost you need to know what kind of plants you hope to grow and where you want them to grow. You should work with your little one to find a sun-drenched area in your home, ideally with a large windowsill, or purchase growing lights to hang over your plants. Most vegetables, fruits, and flowers will need to be transplanted outside later in the season but starting your garden indoors is a wonderful way to begin! Some essentials you will need for your garden are:
- Seeds of your choice (some great recommendations for what seeds begin best indoors can be found here)
- Potting mix
- Spray bottle
- Water
- Growing containers (Some fun and sustainable ideas here and here!
Things to consider when gardening with kids
- Kids can be involved in all aspects of the gardening process, from finding a sunny space for seedlings to picking out seeds and starting the seeds in growing containers. Involving your children in the planting and watering process is a great way for them to learn about a plant’s life cycle and can also bring new meaning to “farm (or garden) to the table.” Seeing where food comes from and being a part of that process can be fun and engaging for little ones.
- Weekends and school vacations! Tiny seedlings can dry out quickly and while there are self-watering planting systems you can use, a big part of the fun is having children check and care for seedlings daily. Make sure to carve time in your weekends to care for your plant babes and if your family travels during a school break, have a friend continue the plant care in your absence.
- Little botanists can learn patience, sustainability, and independence when they garden. When you start a garden inside, it is much easier to keep children invested in gardening and safer for your young seedlings as they take root and begin to sprout.
Never worry about perfection when gardening with your little ones. The experience should be educational, engaging, and most importantly fun! Learn more gardening tips, tricks, and benefits here. Looking for someone to help inspire your child’s green thumb? Maybe we have a plant enthusiast nanny just waiting to meet you! Reach out to The Nanny Authority and get to know creative and professional childcare providers today by emailing us at info@nannyauthority.com or calling us at (973)-466-2669.