I am learning the hard way with trying to garden with my 3 year old. Noah loves to dig. Whenever he ventures out into the garden the first thing he does is grabs the shovel or fork, run up the back of the garden, usually where I have potatoes growing, and starts digging. Noah has no concept of boundaries, he will often dig up a potato and run indoors shouting “mashed tato”. The connection of where food comes from to his dinner plate has started, and long may it continue!

Noah has a 3 second concentration span. I tried planting seeds one day. I had about packets of them, I don’t know what I was thinking when I thought he would help me out from beginning to end. He had had enough after the first packet. I was disappointed, until I took a step back and considered his age and understanding.

Kids want to see quick results. Planting potatoes is not a good place to start if you want your child to see quick growth, after all, potatoes take about 5 months before they are ready to harvest. Try radishes, or lettuces, beans or cress. Even if the family don’t really eat some of these, they are cheap and will help cement in the child’s mind about the importance of caring for things, and that rewards do come to those that care in a positive way.

Don’t expect a child to have the same passion as you in the garden, we understand the importance of seasons, timeframes involved in the planting to harvest cycle. What I have found works with getting kids to make the connection from garden to plate is to get the child to help you harvest. The best time for this is when you are about to prepare the evening meal. Take the child into the veggie garden; explain what you are going to cook and the ingredients needed. Then ask them to help you pick and prepare the veggies for dinner. Don’t then expect the child to eat everything that you have just picked, just because it has come out of “our special garden”, children have taste buds too. Trying to force the picked produce down the child’s throat will sour the whole experience.

Helping you do simple tasks like watering will help the child understand that plants need food and water just like humans do. Buy a small can and point out particular things you want them to water. Another great thing to do with kids is to get them to plant a fruit tree in a pot. My brother in-law bought Noah an avocado tree, pot and compost. He had great fun planting it and waters it each day. Ok there will not be any fruit on it for a long time, but he enjoys watching it grow and gets excited by new shoots and leaves.

We have chickens roaming the backyard and Noah loves collecting the eggs. He helps round up the chooks, feeds them his toast crusts and tips out their water, causing them to almost die of thirst on hot days!

Gardening with kids does not have to be difficult, time consuming or stressful. Make the simple tasks fun, give them a few responsibilities within maintaining the garden, and soon you will have a little person with green fingers hassling you to be out in the garden more!