Gardening for Kids: Playing in the Dirt & Water

an assortment of kids gardening tools watering can gloves spade shovels

Gardening for kids is a very popular family activity to get them active and engages in nature. And, naturally, kids love to play in dirt and water. Every gardener knows we’ve got plenty of both in the garden. Children and gardening are a natural fit!

Engage kids in the gardening process by equipping them with their own set of tools! We carry a full line of gardening tools specially designed for small hands and big imaginations.

When my children were little they loved helping in the garden. They took turns carrying the watering can to the potted plants on the patio, and bargained to determine who got to harvest the first cucumber. They ate sweet peas directly off the vine and grew their own Nasturtiums from seed. As adults, they carry on with healthy eating habits established in their youth, and they both remain deeply appreciative of gardens and green spaces.

A number of studies* have validated what we gardeners intuitively know – that gardening is good for kids. The benefits of gardening with children include:

Nurtures self-confidence
Encourages healthy eating habits
Strengthens the family bond
Develops responsibility and patience
Positively impacts mood & psychological wellbeing
Builds motor skills
Instills an understanding of life cycles
Teaches the importance of insect pollinators
Broadens understanding of ecosystems and the importance of the environment

assorted multi color kids tuff gardening gloves for children

Gardening For Kids With These Plants

An additional way to get children to engage with the garden and the outdoors is to incorporate plants that captivate their interest. Consider including some of the following:

Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla) – Collects rainwater and dew like jewels on leaf edges
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema)-Children are fascinated by the floral “house”
American Ginger (Asarum) – Putrid-smelling flowers pollinated by flies (little kids love this!)
Butterflyweed/Milkweed (Asclepias) – Monarch butterfly and caterpillar “magnets”
False Indigo (Baptisia) – Legend has it that Native American children shook the seed heads of this plant to imitate their elders in ceremonies
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) – Girls especially love these “heart plants”
Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda) – Fruiting body resembles a cinnamon stick
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) – Flowers look like native American blankets
Obedient Plant (Physostegia) – Turn the blossom and it “obediently” stays where you place it
Balloon Flower (Platycodon) – Buds look like inflated balloons
Soapwort (Saponaria) – Early settlers used this plant to make soap
Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum) – Mother “hen” surrounded by baby “chicks”
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys) – Silky silver “lamb’s ear” foliage