Tips on Indoor Seed Starting for Kids

Today, I’m sharing gardening with kids tips and the topic is indoor seed starting for kids.  First, gardening with kids can be a great experience.  And, it’s a great way to get them outdoors and involved with nature in the spring and summer.  As a result, I made a list of seeds that kids could start inside this winter.  My list is not all inclusive, but I have chosen those that I know are easy to grow and some of kids favorites.

seed starting with kids

 

Zinnias – These beautiful flowers are will grow nice and tall.  They came in a variety of colors that the kids will love.  Zinnias are great for our pollinator friends.  And, they provide a great viewing area for butterflies.  Also, the kids can even cut flowers for a beautiful bouquet for mom or grandma.

 

Note:  I am an Amazon Associate.  If you click on any of the products or purchase, I may be compensated a small fee.  However, there will be no additional cost to you.

 

 


 

 

Sunflowers – Next, I grow sunflowers every year.  My granddaughter loves to watch them grow.  So, I had sunflowers that grow around 14 feet this summer.  I must admit, they’re are the tallest I’ve ever grown.  I used Grey Stripe and Russian Mammoth seed.  Imagine seeing those little faces peeking at the window every morning to see how high their sunflowers grew over night.  They’re also great for feeding the birds or growing them for a snack. If you have a sunny location where the kids can view them from the window, that’s a bonus too.  Especially, if it’s a rainy day.

Marigolds – Also, Marigolds are easy to grow and there’s a wide variety to choose from.  I love planting them in containers as well as in my vegetable garden.

 

 

seed starting with kids

Tips on starting seeds with kids

 

Lettuce – Also, growing a variety of lettuce can be fun.  There’s Iceberg, Swiss Chard, Buttercrunch, Loose leaf and other varieties kids can try.  Ask if they want to make salads, wraps or use it on sandwiches.  If you grow Swiss Chard, grow the variety that has the beautiful, colorful stems.

Cabbage – My granddaughter loves cabbage.  Who knew, right!  You’ll be surprised at what kids will eat when it’s fun, healthy and seasoned just right.  Cabbage can also be used to make Cole Slaw and Kraut.  Kraut is a favorite in my household with mashed potatoes.

Tomatoes – First, growing a variety of vegetables can be a lesson on both healthy eating and getting to know nature when gardening with kids.  Try a tomato variety that can be grown in containers or on the patio.  The cherry tomatoes are a good option for a snack or fun recipe like pizza.  You can slice the tomato and use as a topping.  Or, grow a variety that good for making sauce, like pizza sauce.  Roma tomatoes are perfect sauce making tomatoes.  And, they don’t get tall.  So, they won’t need to be caged.

 

 

 

seed starting with kids

 

 

Pumpkins So, what could be more fun than growing your own pumpkins?  How about carving or painting them for Halloween.  You can grow the small variety, or the medium or large pumpkins.  If you want to carve your pumpkins, grow the large variety.  If you want to paint them try the medium size and use the small pumpkins for fall decorating.  Either size is great for fall decorating.

Birdhouse Gourds – In addition to the list above, growing birdhouse gourds is a great project for kids.  You will need some space for this endeavor, the vines will sprawl if you don’t keep them contained.  If you have a trellis, it will be a great backdrop for the vines.  I actually used a small tree branch one year.  It was a just lovely in the garden, and it was fun walking around counting the gourds that had grown on the vines.  Get creative, build a green bean teepee trellis You can transplant the seedlings in the garden in the spring and watch it climb the trellis.  Once you have gourds, have the kids paint the birdhouse gourds and turn them into birdhouses.

 

 


 

Last, I hope my seed starting seeds for kids suggestions have excited you and your children.  Indoor Seed Starting for Kids can be a great way to keep the kids occupied this winter into spring.  Most importantly, use a  good seed starting mix, and a sunny spot for the seeds to germinate and grow.

Finally, if you have to transplant your seedlings because they’ve grown too big in the seed starter, consider using biodegradable containers.

 

 

Fun Springtime Garden Projects for Kids

 
garden projects for kids
Kids absolutely love to dig in the dirt, help in the garden, and experience life growing around them.  Helping mom and dad in the backyard offers kids fresh air, exercise, learning experiences, and family bonding.  It’s a win-win situation, and what’s not to love about that? With a little bit of patience and some planning, even parents who are novices in the garden can enjoy this wonderful backyard experience with their kids.  Check out my other gardening tips.  If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got the perfect garden projects for kids:

Plant Garden Bulbs Together:

Beautify your landscaping with beautiful blooming flowers, Hostas and elephant ears this year. Let your child help select the plant bulbs and plan out your soon-to-be gorgeous garden beds. Spring and fall are the standard planting times for bulbs. Let the kiddos help you dig the holes, insert the bulbs the right way, and measure the distance apart with a ruler. Your kids will be thrilled with what blooms the following season and feel so proud of their accomplishment.

unnamed-2 2

Build a Kid-Size Garden

First, give your child the gift of their own garden. And by gift, we mean the pleasure and learning they’ll get from it because it truly is a gift to them. You can buy a ready to build raised garden bed at a big box home store, build a DIY version with leftover wood, or give your child an area of your regular garden and fence it off.

Furthermore, let them pick a few veggies to plant and let them be responsible for the planting and watering (with your guidance, of course). When a child sees their fruits and veggies go from seeds to the dinner table, they’ll feel so proud! Studies show that garden projects for kids is a great way to teach them to grow their own food.  Most importantly, kids are more apt to eat what they grown.  So go ahead and plant the rainbow!

Plant a Butterfly Garden

Also, this fun idea is probably the easiest and reaps the most benefits. Pick an area of your yard or use a big container planter and fill with rich, black soil. Pick up an inexpensive packet of Butterfly Garden Seeds. Let your child sprinkle the seeds on the dirt and water. Watch all the different varieties of flowers bloom and attract butterflies and humming birds.

Start a Worm Composter

So, your first thought might be “oh yuck” but your kids and garden will love your worm composter. You can buy a pre-made composter or build your own DIY version for around $5. It’s very easy to make and only requires a bit of drilling holes and setting up the bin.

Vermicomposting requires worm compost bedding and compost worms (can be ordered online). They will need to be watered and fed which your kids can be responsible for. The compost created by the worms makes your garden grow like crazy and healthy too. Your kids will be more fascinated by the worms.

Add Bug Repellant Plants Around Play Areas

Next, pick up a few Citronella or Lemongrass from your local garden store to use by your children’s play areas. Both Citronella and Lemongrass repel mosquitoes and flies, which are both a nuisance to kids playing. Using a few containers you have around the garage, fill with dirt and fill with the Citronella or Lemongrass plants and water. Place around the outer edges of your kids’ swing set and sandbox.

Make Homemade Stepping Stones

Last, this project may be a little messy, but it’s so much fun for the whole family!  So, the difficulty of this project will depend on the age of the children. Find rocks on your property or a nearby park to make your stepping stones.  Give them a good washing with soap and water and then paint them with non-washable paint.

Another fun garden project for kids is googly eye balls glued on to make “pet rocks.”  This is a great craft to do as a family.

A more advanced approach is making your own stepping stones with Plaster of Paris.  Just mix the Plaster of Paris with water in an old bucket, and pour into molds.  Also, fun molds are available at art supply stores or you can use simple disposable aluminum baking pans. While the Plaster of Paris is still wet, you can etch in names, add gem stones or other finds, and paint when dried. Stepping stones also make great gifts for grandparents and friends.

Last, Max Warehouse is your one stop shop for all your home and garden needs, home organization and improvement, auto, lawn care and everything in between.  We have great products for your garden projects for kids too. Whether your project is large or small, they have your back!  Free shipping over $50.

Finally, we hope that you enjoyed our garden projects for kids, and will select a few to implement in your garden this spring.

Backyard Gardening With Kids Tips

Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on gardening with kids and why it is important.  Gardening is a great way to introduce them to nature.  It’s also a great way to give them a life skill; growing their own food.  Gardening can be done in small spaces, vertical, in raised bed, containers and on plots.  I suggest containers/pots for the kids, especially if you’re just starting to garden with them. 

 

 

gardening with kids

 

 

 

Gardening With Kids Tips:  

 

Start with simple tasks with your kids or grandkids.  When kids are excited about something, they look forward to the event or activity.  First, get them excited about gardening:  

Garden Boots – I purchased a pair of Lighting McQueen rain boots for my grandson and he loved to wear them when he was watering my vegetable garden.
Purchase a Watering Can – They make adorable watering cans specifically for children.  They’re easy for them to grip and pour the water.
Gardening Gloves – Covering their hands while digging in dirt is a good idea.  I’m a Master Gardener, and I wear them regularly.
Small Pots/Containers – Give them pots and containers that they can relate to.  Giving a child a 10 gallon flower pot can be overwhelming.  This can apply to raised beds and garden plots too.  

 

 


 


 

 

 

 

I think it’s important for children to understand the land and how to grow your own food.  We never know where the economy will take us, so we need to teach our children how to survive.  Furthermore, we need to teach them how to save where they can.

 

 

gardening with kids

 

 

So, here’s additional tips on how gardening with kids provides benefits:

 

  • They learn how to plant flowers and vegetables.
  • Children learn about nature when gardening.
  • Children learn how food is grown.
  • They learn how to nurture the food that their family will eat.
  • Harvesting vegetables for the family gives them a feeling of importance.
  • The learn about flowers and their beauty as well as purpose.
  • Gardening allows them to watch the birds, rabbits, squirrels and more.

 

 

 

gardening with kids

 

 

 

Another fun activity with kids is picking berries.  If you don’t have a patch in your backyard, plant one.  Until than check out your local farmer’s market.  I suggest an early morning trip to the strawberry fields, it can get hot quickly in the wide open fields.  My grandson loved picking strawberries.  He knew that I was going to turn those red berries into strawberry jam.  Besides jam, we also used the berries for ice cream and funnel cake toppings.  Fresh berries are so good!

 

I hope my tips on gardening with kids has motivated you to spend some time in the backyard with you kids or grandchildren during a small garden project this summer.  Planting carrots, flowers or a pizza garden are great ways to get your children involved.  

 

 

 

 

DIY Newspaper Seedling Pots

DIY Newspaper Seedling Pots are fun to make and great for the environment. Furthermore, newspaper seedling pots are biodegradable.  And, you can plant them directly into your garden or container.  Most importantly, they will decompose and help nourish the soil.

So, to help cut down on my gardening expense I make newspaper seedling pots.  I can get newspaper from family and friends or from the recycling center. They are all too happy to get rid of it, and I’m happy to recycle it.  These frugal containers have become a big part of my gardening season.  As a result, I thought I would show you how to make these pots.  If you have children that can handle making the newspaper seedling pots, let them spend the afternoon making them for you.   Making newspaper seedling pots is a great gardening with kids project.

 

newspaper seedling pots

 

 

DIY Newspaper Seedling Pots:

What you will need:

 

 

Easy Steps:

 

Step 1 – First, as shown in the picture below use 1 single sheet of newspaper folded in half.  Do not use the glossy or colored sections of the newspaper. The ink is not environmentally friendly. 

Step 2  – Second, fold the sheet of newspaper in half not length wise.

Step 3 –  I used a pint size canning jar.  Also, leave about a 1/4 inch of the mouth of the jar out of the newspaper as shown below.

Step 4 – Roll the jar until all of the newspaper is used. Make sure the newspaper is rolled tightly and evenly.

Step 5 Next, tape the ends of the newspaper together.  Kraft Paper Tape is biodegradable, so you can leave it on your pots when planting them directly in the garden or pot. 

 

  

 

 

Step 6 – Additionally, turn the jar upside down. The opening of the jar should be face down, and why you should leave about 1/4 inch of the jar out of the newspaper.

Step 7 – Next, fold the bottom of the newspaper as if you’re wrapping Christmas gift.  Tape the folds down with the Kraft Paper Tape. 

Step 8Remove the jar from the newspaper.  

 

 

newspaper seedling pots

 

 

Step 9 – Last, fold the top of the pot down about a 1/2  – 1 inch to make the pot smaller.

 

 

newspaper seedling pots

 

 

Fortunately, these seedling pots are ready to start your herbs, tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, melons etc. Simply, fill the pot with seed starter mix (I use Miracle Gro), and you’re ready to plant your seeds according to the package. 

Most importantly, when you start your seeds you will want to water from the bottom up so you won’t displace your seeds.  What do I mean by watering from the bottom?  Place your seedling pots in a tray.  Pour water into the bottom of the tray, and allow your pots to soak up the water instead of watering the seedling from the top.  Watering from the top can dislodge you seed.  Also, add more water if necessary.  You can use tin roasting pan from the dollar store, plastic storage containers, your oven roasting pan, and anything you can find to house your seedling pots. 

 

 

DIY newspaper seedling pots

 

Also, I recommend planting 2 or 3 seeds in your pot.  You have better odds of germination using 2 or 3 seeds. Once the plant(s) has grown 2 – 3 inches, you can leave the strongest seedling and discard the other plants. It’s simple, just pinch off those you don’t want and discard them.  

Finally, now start making those newspaper seedling pots so you will be ready to sow your seeds and remain on schedule with your kitchen garden. Also, it’s best to make the pots in advance so you will be ready to go.
You May Also Like:  Kitchen Garden Sowing Schedule