Planting flowers with kids can teach them about how to care for living things, says Kathy Charner, author of "Everything for Spring: A Complete Activity Book for Teachers of Young Children." Planning a garden and planting flowers with your children can be a rewarding experience for everyone, as you work together to create something beautiful. A flower garden can be planted in many different places, including a large pot, a small patch of dirt or throughout your entire backyard. The amount of space you have does not matter as much as the time you spend with your children creating something you can all take pride in.
Step 1
Visit a local nursery or greenhouse. Learn about what kinds of flowers will grow well in your location, recommends Tom McMahon, author of "Kid Tips: Proven Child-Care Tips from Experienced Parents Across the Country." Talk with the employees to find out what flowers grow well in shady spots or sunny spots so you can guide your children to choose flowers that will last. Learn about flowers that grow quickly and easily and have brightly colored flowers, such as marigolds, pansies or daisies. Consider flowers that provide showy results, such as sunflowers, roses or petunias.
Step 2
Make your final flower selections. Allow each of your children to choose one or two varieties that are their favorites. Guide your children towards plants that produce many flowers or include several different colors in one pot, such as snapdragons, rose moss or cosmos.
Step 3
Prepare your pot or dirt patch for planting. Fill the pot with potting soil or rake the dirt patch and remove any weeds or debris. Mix potting soil into the dirt to provide a better growing environment for your flowers.
Step 4
Use a trowel to dig a small hole. Show your children how to place the flower into the hole. Have them wear gardening gloves to protect their hands. Encourage the children to dig holes and plant their own flower choices.
Step 5
Fill in the hole with potting soil or dirt. Demonstrate to your children how to pat the soil down around the root of the flower so it does not tip over. Spread a layer of mulch around the base of each flower to help hold in moisture.
Step 6
Water the flowers. Use a watering can if your children have planted flowers in pots and use a garden hose if the flowers are planted in a dirt patch. Give each of your children a turn to water their own flowers.
Tips and Warnings
- Teach your children about what a flower needs to grow, suggests Charner. Tell them that their flowers will need plenty of sunlight and water so they can make food and grow. Discuss how to take care of plants by being gentle with them. When you choose your flowers, look for ones that have many blooms so your child will have a spectacular patch of flowers in just a few weeks. As the flowers grow, encourage your children to cut them and make bouquets to share with family, friends and teachers.
- Check the area you plant to plant flowers to make sure you remove any animal droppings, broken glass or sharp rocks so your children are not in danger when planting and tending to their flowers.
Things You'll Need
- Pot or patch of dirt
- Flowers
- Garden gloves
- Trowel
- Watering can or garden hose
- Potting soil
- Mulch
References
- "Everything for Spring: A Complete Activity Book for Teachers of Young Children"; Kathy Charner; 1997
- "Kid Tips: Proven Child-Care Tips from Experienced Parents Across the Country"; Tom McMahon; 1998
