children's gardening activities Archives

Carrot Facts for Kids – History of Carrots

May 9, 2021 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing kids printables on carrot facts for kids. Gardeners around the world grow carrots. They are one of the first vegetables to go into most gardens in the spring. Carrots are root crops that prefer cool weather rather than the scorching heat of summer. So, they are perfect for a spring and fall crop.

First, carrots are know by their orange color and long root. They can be found in salads, on vegetable trays, snack plates, juiced and julienned. Did you know that the original carrot was not orange? Nope, the orange color evolved. Check out these carrot facts.

Carrot Facts for Kids:

First, carrots are considered root vegetables because they grow underground.
The original carrots were purple, white and yellow, not orange.
Carrots were cultivated in Iran and Persia, now Afghanistan.
The orange carrot originated in Europe.
Dutch settlers brought the orange carrot to Jamestown, VA.
Next, carrots are orange because of the beta-carotene in them.
Orange carrots became popular, and replaced the purple, yellow and white carrots.
Carrots were first grown for their leaves and seeds for medicinal purposes.
So, it is true rabbits do love carrots. However, carrot tops are healthier for rabbits. Unfortunately, one carrot for a rabbit is equivalent to eating 20.
One of the healthiest vegetables are carrots.
Furthermore, carrots help clean our teeth. They scrape plague from our teeth just like a toothbrush and toothpaste. Additionally, carrots stimulate gums.
Next, China is the largest producer of carrots. Russia is second and the United States third.
The longest carrot was 20 feet, and grown by Joe Atherton in Malvern, UK, on 23 September 2016.
The heaviest carrot weighed 22 pounds. Christopher Qualley of Otsego, Minnesota grow this carrot in September 2017.
Fortunately, the original color carrots can still be grown. Carrot maladies usually contain purple, yellow, orange, white and red carrots.
There are 100 species of carrots.
Carrot comes from the Greek word Karoton.
A teaspoon of carrots holds 2,000 seeds.

How to Grow Carrots:

Next, check out my post on how to grow carrots. It’s an easy, fun and educational activity that you can do with your kids. Carrots like cool weather, so a fall planting will be suitable as well. You will need the following:

Deep pot from your local Dollar Tree
Potting Soil
Carrot Seeds

The carrots below are carrots that I planted in a pot. They are currently growing on my deck.

After planting a pot of carrots, be sure to print the word search and crossword puzzles on carrot facts. You can download them here. There’s a coloring page included too. I hope you enjoy these interesting facts on carrots!

Finally, you may also like History of Carrots and Healthy Carrot Snack Ideas for Kids.

Filed Under: Printables Tagged With: backyard gardening tips for kids, children's gardening activities, gardening facts

Garden Dos and Don’ts For The Nervous Parent

August 29, 2016 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

It’s common knowledge that the more that kids are outside, the happier they are. It boosts health, their immune system and their sense of curiosity and wonder. It’s just a given: there are health benefits to playing outside and there are benefits of a playground. Parents today see the world is a dangerous place, or at least it feels that way. The days of 1970s latch-key kids are long gone. That generation of parents has been replaced by a generation who see danger rather than a safe neighborhood. So, we’re going to share a few gardening tips for the nervous parent. There are gardening dos and don’ts if you have children.

Furthermore, an enclosed garden can help ease a parent’s fear of allowing their kids to wander around the neighborhood. Children can still play outdoors, and you can protect their environment. Check out our tips below.

Here’s a list of dos and don’ts to help you create a great outdoor space for your children.

DO: Make It Secure

First, a privacy fence is invaluable tool in helping to keep your brood from prying eyes. It’s also great for keeping them inside the perimeter of the property where you can keep an eye on them. If you have a part of your garden that is overlooked, consider a gazebo or similar, which has the double impact of protection from the sun and a place to rest.

DON’T: Install A Pond

Image From: WikiMedia Commons

There’re a couple of caveats to this one. Parents must teach children to respect the water. That’s a tricky task with youngsters who want to catch or watch fish and dragonflies. Keep temptation away until they fully understand the dangers of drowning. However, if you can’t resist a pond, ensure it has sloping sides so any child (or creature) falling in can clamber out.

DO: Focus On Soft Landings

Children are going to stumble in the play area or fall off the swing set. It’s almost inevitable. You need to ensure the ground that they’re landing on is friendly, no matter what the weather. Grass and mud dry out in summer heat and can be as hard as concrete. Sand is a popular choice, as long as it’s kid-friendly. You can also use wood chips or mulch in your play area. Unfortunately, they’re not as forgiving, but they’re better than bare earth.

DON’T: Allow Tree Climbing

I know, I know – it’s a childhood dream! Every kid wants to climb trees! Ensure the tree is strong enough to hold your child’s weigh. Tree branches can be deceiving. Besides, being large doesn’t make them strong. Children moving along them can cause them to break with the additional weigh. Building a tree house is a viable solution. If not, call in a tree expert to assess the tree for weakness and have weak limbs removed.

DO: Give Yourself A Vantage Point

Finally, try and organize your garden in such a way that you can see it all from one spot. Hiding places, such as behind sheds, can bring extra dangers. Block off those areas if possible. Remove any trees if you must to ensure you can see the entire garden area with a quick glance.

If you can’t implementing all of our gardening dos and don’ts, implement those that will provide the most safety for your kids.

Filed Under: Flower Gardens, Nature-Gardening, Outdoor Living Tagged With: children's gardening activities, garden ideas, gardening

Gardening With Your Child

April 18, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

My grandfather had a garden when I was growing up. And, I remember how different the vegetables tasted from the store brought veggies today. So, I planted a vegetable garden. My father was an avid flower gardener, so I guess gardening is in my blood. Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on backyard gardening with your child.

I decided to involve my grandson when he was little. He lives near the beach, so backyard gardening isn’t a common theme in that area. When he visits in the summer he loves to help me with my garden. He enjoys playing in the dirt and watering my plants. I believe that children need to be exposed to different cultures and experiences.

Most importantly, he is learning. Here’s a few reasons to garden with your child:

They learn about growing vegetables and flowers – My grandson loves it so much when he hears the back door open, he is on my heels. In the photo below, he’s picking peppers. Hot peppers are big in my family. We love them on everything. My grandson loves hot peppers on his nachos. He’s a kid after his grandmother’s heart. I pickle hot peppers and freeze Belle peppers so we have a fresh supply all year.

It’s a great way to learn responsibility – Give them chores once you get them outside. Have them rack leaves retrieve the hand rack or shovel. He loves it so much when he hears the back door open, he is on my heels. In the photo above, he’s picking peppers. Hot peppers are big in my family, we love them on everything. Xavier loves hot peppers on his nachos, he’s a kid after his grandmother’s heart. I pickle hot peppers, so we have a fresh supply all year and freeze Belle peppers for cooking.

Next, he’s learning the importance of watering plants, weeding and waiting to reap the benefit. How do you like his garden boots? They’re Disney cars. He loves splashing in the water after he makes puddles in the yard. I can’t say that he’s learned to love everything he’s nurturing in the vegetable garden, but he’s having fun helping everything grow.

My grandchildren do love carrots, corn, cucumbers and tomatoes. I use them in pasta salads, and the tomatoes for sauce for spaghetti and pizza which they both love. I also can tomatoes for chili and soup in the winter. Yum!

I’m a petunia lover too, so I make sure they’re the star on my deck in the summer. Xavier was 2 when I started involving him in my gardening. I thought I would share this picture of him sucking his binky and watering my plants. It’s one of my favorite pictures of him. I purchased a little watering can, rake and shovel for him too. He remembers watering the plants, and now wants to water them each summer. My granddaughter is old now, hopefully she will take an interest as well.

Gardening with your child doesn’t have to be expensive. I start most of my vegetables and flowers from seed that I save. I also purchase plants off the clearance rack at Walmart or Lowes. The planter above is filled with Walmart clearance items. I purchased the planter from the Dollar Store.

Most importantly, if you don’t have a yard use your balcony or patio to grow a few plants. Get your child involved. Better yet, let them plant a few flowers or vegetables of their own. It teaches them responsibility and also gets them involved in nature. Try a perennial, they come back each year.

Next, when you expose children to different experiences, they will be open to different cultures, music, foods and other experiences as an adults. Their formative years are in our hands. So, add gardening with your child an activity that you can do together. They may not model everything that we do in their adult years, but they will have the memories and experience. Last, you can’t place a price tag on that.

Filed Under: Projects for Kids Tagged With: children's gardening activities, gardening, summer activities