When the weather outside is frightful, planning a garden with your children inside can be delightful. Here are some tips to spark spring fever, wake up young artists and inspire fresh, healthful cooking in your winter-weary house.
Let your children draw up your spring garden plans.
Photo Credit: Mary Jaros
Materials
- Storybooks about gardens, fruits and vegetables from your local library
- Several large pieces of drawing paper
- Crayons, markers or colored pencils
- Seed catalogs or garden guides
Getting Started
- Prime the pump. Reading aloud to young children fires up their imaginations and kindles curiosity. You might tell a whimsical tale about garden fairies, a silly story about a reluctant vegetable eater or a factual account of a garden’s glory before asking your children to help plan their very own garden spot in your own yard.
- After story time, clear off your kitchen table and give each child several sheets of paper, as well as crayons, markers or colored pencils. Ask them to draw a picture of your house or apartment, including front, back and side yards, porches, balconies and decks. (Some drawings may appear “abstract,” and that’s just fine!)
- Help children mark an “X” by the sunniest spots around your home. (Most plants prefer at least six hours of sun each day.) If you have a shady yard, note a sunny porch, balcony or deck where you can keep a few pots or start a container garden.
- Look through seed catalogs for fruits and vegetables that look good enough to eat, then ask your kids to draw those plants in their marked garden spots. Talk with them about growing at least one new “taste experience” this spring. (This will also broaden your children’s exposure to nutritious foods.)
- Consider creating a theme garden this spring, and ask your kids to add it to their drawings. Here are a few examples you can give them:
- Invite the children to help select seed and plant varieties to put in your garden come spring. Help them understand planting and care directions, then follow through once the weather plays nice and the garden is ready for digging.
Planning – and then planting – a garden with your children will bring you closer to nature, as well as each other. Plus, an edible garden can help your whole family discover the delicious taste of fresh healthful foods. As for those budding artists, encourage them to capture their garden’s beauty all season long…and to help us forget the winter’s chill.
