Gardening with Children

“Look Mommy the carrots are growing!” my 4-year-old daughter exclaimed, as she squatted barefoot over our raised bed and inquisitively examined the little green shoots sticking out of the soil. “Is it time to take the baby carrots out yet?” Since they could walk, my children have helped plant, care for, and harvest fruits and vegetables in our backyard garden. I have observed how their interconnectedness with nature has encouraged them to confidently question, observe, and explore their world. 

Their excitement with gardening is evident in the delight they express while plucking fresh blueberries off of bushes or competing to see who can pull the largest carrot. Their growing connection to the Earth is strengthened when they hastily save earthworms from the perils of being squashed by a shovel or when they gently transplant brussels sprout seedlings into the ground. The love and value they attribute to the plants’ life, the bugs’ life, and ultimately their life is clear. With every scoop of soil, they are reminded of their innate abilities to cultivate, grow, and thrive.

Fun Gardening Ideas

Planning, planting, tending, and harvesting a garden allows for endless opportunities to encourage children’s natural tendencies towards creativity and wonder. It can be easy and fun to create a garden with children and experience first-hand how it can develop essential skills such as responsibility, reciprocity, and teamwork. You can help your child develop ownership over their garden by letting them take the lead on designing the garden space. Using mulch or rocks, they can outline their garden in fun shapes such as a pyramid, an ankh, or flower. Choosing to create a themed garden is another way to draw the interest of children of all ages. With a bit of planning and forethought, planting a home garden can be a memorable family experience that provides quality time and serves as a gentle and needed reminder of our power.

My decision to grow a garden reaches far beyond combating obesity and improving well-being. As a mother raising Black children in a country rampant with racial insensitivity and political animosity, cultivating a garden is a revolutionary act. A garden builds resilience and empowers children by reminding them that with the right amount of love and care, all living things can thrive and transform into something powerful. In the words of the Rev. Wendell Paris, “You can free yourself when you can feed yourself”.