I’ve been trying to involve my kids as much as possible in all aspects of our new garden: from choosing the fruits and vegetables we’re growing, to weekly harvesting and trimming, to cooking with the plants we grow. I am still learning how to best involve the kids in our garden, so when Katie from Personal Creations contacted me with their gardening guide I was more than happy to share. This is a great guide to help you get started in the garden with your kids.

Below is a Guest Post by Personalcreations.com

If you have any experience maintaining a garden, you know how special those memories of being outside, knee-deep in the dirt are. Witnessing your plants’ first blooms can be such a remarkable moment, especially when you were young! This is why it’s so vital to instill a love of gardening and the outdoors in your children. It is a valuable skill and hobby they can carry throughout their entire lives.

However, maintaining a garden with children is a different task than as an adult. Plants can take a long time to grow, so it’s important to make it a fun and interesting learning process for kids. Additionally, there are certain plants the kiddos should be sure to avoid. To break it all down, Personal Creations created this comprehensive guide to gardening with kids. It includes ways to make gardening a fun game, as well as suggestions on what to grow. Pizza garden, anybody?

Here are a couple tips on how to get the kids started with their very own garden:

• Pick a spot to garden. Some plants need full sunlight and others do better in shade, so make sure this spot of the yard is versatile.
• Choose what to plant. Most plants grow well in all parts of America, but double check the plants will do well in your region. Cherry tomatoes, herbs, and lavender will grow almost anywhere.
• Plan a schedule. Teach your kiddos responsibility and time management by setting certain days and times for planting, watering, and weeding.
• Keep a journal. Have your children write about their garden. They can keep track of what they’ve done, observations they’ve made, or even draw their dream garden.

Gardening is such a fun family activity to start! Have everyone pitch in, and at the end of the growing season, cook a family meal using all the fresh fruits and veggies you grew together.

I know I learned a lot about gardening from these tips that I will be implementing in my own garden with my kids this summer and fall. Did you find this guide helpful?