Who wants to add one more thing to your day? Not me! As a busy homeschooling mom, you have your hands full keeping the kids learning, feeding everyone, and keeping up with the household tasks. As a homeschooling mom myself for the past 16 years, I understand how busy it gets, especially when the kids are young.
Looking back at my years of when I was homeschooling 3 kids under the age of 5, I didn’t want to add another thing to my plate, especially not something that I didn’t feel confident in doing with my kids. Gardening was one of those things that felt too overwhelming.
What I didn’t realize, and I wish someone would have said to me was, “Hey, you can start small and grow your garden knowledge with your kids. You don’t have to be perfect or know it all. It can be a fun and simple part of learning and living.”
Starting a small garden or space to grow food and flowers doesn’t have to take much time. Beginning this growing process now will help you and your kids build amazing skills that will benefit your whole family in the future. Not to mention, it’s a fun family activity for everyone.
In this blog post, I’ll show you can enhance your early learner’s gardening experience by providing captivating activities that will get them excited about exploring plants and insects in their own backyard by making gardening fun!
Let’s jump in to how to make gardening and homeschooling with young kids easy and possible.
Step 1: Introduce your Kids to the Wonders of Gardening
Encouraging your early learner to get their hands dirty and explore the joys of gardening can be a rewarding experience. Not only do they get the chance to enjoy time outside, but they can learn about the miracle of watching seeds grow and develop skills such as patience and responsibility along the way.
Activity Idea: Start with Simple Plants
For young kids,it’s essential to select plants that are easy to grow and care for. Let them pick out a few seed packets with bright, appealing colors that can grow in their own pots or garden area. Some of the easiest plants to cultivate include sunflowers, cucumbers, basil, and marigolds. When they start to see things growing, it will kick start a love for gardening.
By introducing your little ones to gardening, they can learn about the different types of plants and flowers and gain an appreciation for the natural world around them. Watching their faces light up as they witness the first signs of growth is a joyous moment, and a memory that will stay with them for years to come.
Activity Idea: Garden Read Aloud
One way to get your little ones ready to garden is to read books on gardening. A picture book can share vocabulary and concepts that will make it easier to grow a garden. Check out picture books from the library that are easy for young children to comprehend as you embark on this gardening fun.
Have a student who can’t get enough of hands on Science? Science Exploration A and
Science Exploration B
For students who can’t get enough Science, for Mom’s who don’t want to figure out Science Experiments on their own and for kids who never fell in love with scientific discovery, these classes are for you! Weekly science experiments that keep your kids engaged, focused and ready for more!
Step 2: Create a Garden Planning Checklist with Your Kiddos
Do you want to teach your kiddo some important processing skills while enjoying the outdoors? Planning ahead and focusing on a task are valuable life skills that can be easily learned through gardening.
Creating a garden planning checklist together with your little one is a fun way of introducing them to the idea of planning. Draw out pictures and add words to make the experience even more comprehensible. Not only will this be an educational experience, but it will also allow your child to take ownership of their little garden patch.
Whether it’s choosing the perfect spot in your backyard, or deciding which plants to grow, working on a garden plan with your young learner will help them learn and develop vital planning skills that will be useful in all aspects of their life.
Step 2: Create a Garden Planning Checklist with Your Early Learner
Do you want to teach your young student some important processing skills while enjoying the outdoors? Planning ahead and focusing on a task are valuable life skills that can be easily learned through gardening.
Creating a garden planning checklist together with your little one is a fun way of introducing them to the idea of planning. Draw out pictures and add words to make the experience even more comprehensible. Not only will this be an educational experience, but it will also allow your child to take ownership of their little garden patch.
Whether it’s choosing the perfect spot in your backyard, or deciding which plants to grow, working on a garden plan with your preschooler will help them learn and develop vital planning skills that will be useful in all aspects of their life.
Step 4: Pick a Sunny Spot for Planting in the Garden
The best sunny location is one that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. With the right conditions, you can grow all sorts of delicious vegetables and herbs, from juicy cherry tomatoes to fragrant basil. Some other great options for sunny spots include peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini.
Of course, what you choose to grow will depend on your personal preferences and what grows best in your area. But with a little research and some careful planning, you can create a thriving garden filled with all sorts of delicious and nutritious produce.
Talk About the Life Cycle of Plants as You Plant Together
Planting a garden together is not only a fun activity, but it’s also an educational experience for all ages. As you plant together, take the opportunity to talk about the life cycle of a seed to a plant. Explaining the stages of germination, growth, flowering, and reproduction can be fascinating, especially for children.
Watching the seedlings sprout and grow into mature plants can be an exciting process filled with wonder and anticipation. By teaching about the life cycle of plants, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the natural world and the amazing process that allows a tiny seed to transform into a flourishing garden.
Step 5: Make Gardening Fun with Hands-on Activities
Gardening is one of the most rewarding hobbies to pick up, but it can be hard to keep things interesting. Luckily, there are many ways you can use your gardening space for more than just growing plants.
Activity Idea: Create a Sensory Garden
Kids love to explore and get their hands dirty, so create a sensory garden where they can touch, smell, and taste different plants. Add flowers like roses, honeysuckles for sniffing, and marigolds to decorate their spaces with colors. Herb plants like mint, chamomile, and lavender are great for tasting and smelling.
One of the best ways to keep your kids engaged is to make gardening a science time. Gardening is an activity that provides hands-on experiences which help young children understand the natural world around them and themselves.
The possibilities are endless, from watching a seed sprout to attracting beneficial organisms like ladybugs with flowers to measuring plant growth to understand the lifecycle of your plants.
In Summary:
Gardening is a fun activity for preschoolers and adults alike. With the right tools, you can give your preschooler an introduction to the wonders of gardening.
It’s important to create a garden planning checklist with your preschooler so that they know what to do and how to do it. You’ll also need to get supplies for planting together and pick a sunny spot in the garden so that the plants have enough sunlight.
As you plant together, talk about the life cycle of plants as well as other hands-on science activities that will make gardening fun.
Alicia has been homeschooling for the past 16 years and is a mom of 3 kids. She has a master’s degree in education and has become a certified Gardenary Garden designer and coach. With her kids as her inspiration, gardening has become an essential part of their homeschooling day. She wants to help other homeschooling families create spaces to grow, learn, and breathe. Follow her to learn more about gardening.
Listen to the Podcast as Alicia shares how she went from Black to Green Thumb!
Read Part II of this 3 part series: How to Boost and Enhance Your Child’s Learning through Gardening
Read Part III of this 3 part series: Dirty Jobs: It’s Not What You Think!
Download Alicia’s FREE from seed to sweet guide to growing a watermelon in a pot!
