Easy Green Gardens for Kids

Teach your children more than just the abc's when the weather gets warm. Toddlers will laugh when they see mom or dad playing in the dirt. Older preschoolers will love getting their hands dirty. This is a great project for homeschoolers.< p>

If warm weather inspires you to head outside with your "little sprouts", why not start a potted garden with them? The last thing you want is something else to take care of, but gardening can be relaxing and fun for the both of you. Your children can learn about nature and recycling, while getting some fresh air. Most of your supplies will be recycled items, so it can cost next to nothing.

Green Garden Step 1: Gather Your Seeds, Recycled Containers and Soil

Prepare by saving grocery items that you would normally discard such as seeds from your produce. During your regular meal prep, keep seeds from lemons, pears, grapes, bell peppers, avocados and whatever else you like. Lay them out on a paper towel to dry and write the names of the seeds directly on the towel so that you know what you're going to plant. Garlic cloves separated from the head and pealed, also work wonderfully. They are easy for little fingers to plant and grow tremendously fast once they get going.

You will also save plastic food containers and egg shells (just poke drainage holes in the bottoms) to use as makeshift pots. Don't forget to save the egg carton to set the eggshells in.

The only item you may have to purchase is a bag of potting soil. If saving your seeds sounds like too much work, there are lots of discount stores that offer seed packets starting as low as 10 cents. To save mom or dad's hands, get yourself a pair of gardening gloves at the dollar store. Be sure to choose a soil that is compatible with growing vegetables if you intend to taste the fruits of your labor. Organic soil is not that expensive anymore and it's much easier to find than it was in the past.

Green Garden Step 2: Planting

Simply fill the containers with soil and plant your seeds slightly below the surface. Write directly on your pot with a permanent marker or use a popsicle stick to show what you have planted there. Start your seeds in a shady spot and keep the soil moist until they begin to grow. The seeds may take anywhere from one to several weeks to sprout. If it's still too cold in your area, start you garden indoors. By the time the weather turns milder you can take your little garden outside. Once they do sprout, make sure your seedlings get some sun, but not too much. Baby plants can scorch easily if they're in a very hot spot. So, put them in partial sun and gradually move them to sunnier spots when they begin to thrive. You may also want to transplant your seedlings into larger containers as they grow.

Green Garden Step 3: Water and watch your garden grow.

Have your children help with watering when you go outside to play and you both can marvel at the sweet little garden you created together.

What you gain from this garden may not be huge volumes of produce, but you'll be teaching your children the value of nurturing other living things. It was even fun doing it in an environment friendly way.

Craft Tip:

For a little added kid-appeal, you may want have your kids help you with decorating your recycled pots. Coat your containers with acrylic craft paint or stickers left over from another project. With some cheerful colors and some swirls or polka-dots you've made your little garden even more kid friendly. It doesn't matter that the decorations might get worn off in the sun and water-- that just adds to their charm.