Gardening for Preschoolers

Gardening for Preschoolers has so many gardening benefits in early childhood development. Today I’m sharing ideas on planting seeds with preschoolers and gardening projects for preschoolers. When you spend time gardening with your kids not only do they benefit but so do you as a preschool teacher or parent.

First hand experience, my preschooler LOVES to garden…because she watches her daddy in the vegetable garden and helps him…then she sees me in the flower gardens and helps me. She loves it…and I have to say all that I’m telling you today I have seen to be true from our own families experience. Not to mention when I cooked sweet peas from our garden…she didn’t think she was going to eat them…because she said she didn’t like them! UNTIL I mentioned that these are the peas you helped daddy grow, pick and you helped me shell. She started eating right away and hasn’t let up since! VICTORY!!!!

A few thoughts to get us started in gardening for preschoolers.

Gardening is a wonderful way to for children to discover, explore and learn.

First I like to think of the important foundation for teaching preschoolers gardening and their developmental stage. This is that children are active learners. The best teaching occurs when the emphasis is more on joining the child in hands-on interaction, play and discovery than on imparting knowledge. Children have a natural curiosity that requires direct sensory.

So let your preschooler explore, get dirty all while you are stepping them through the process. What toddler/preschooler doesn’t love digging in the dirt, getting dirty and exploring? I haven’t met one yet!

Gardening with preschoolers is a way that you can get them involved in every step of the process.

Planning the garden
What to plant
Adding soil
Digging
Planting
Watering
Weeding
Harvesting- if vegetables

Your preschooler will also learn about science by practicing science. You can help your children learn about spring, plants (and their life cycle), and growth by planting and caring for flowers and vegetables.

Here are also some ways to get your preschooler involved and interested in creating a garden:

Keep it simple
Encourage your preschooler to dig, make mud pies etc.
Grow interesting plants that are fun and unique
Make a trellis for flowers or green beans
Plant flowers that attract butterflies or interesting insects/birds.
Make a scarecrow for your garden
Make a Rain Gauge for your garden to check up on the rainfall.
Visit community gardens or botanical gardens.

Planting Seeds with Preschoolers

Kids Gardening has a great read on appropriate plants/seeds to plant for the young preschooler. They also include an extensive list on cool weather plants, warm weather, annual and perennial plants as well. which will be a great resource to continually go back to when you are planning your gardening project with your preschooler.

Give them their own space or spot to grow their garden – consider even a raised garden bed for them!
Provide them with the right tools to cultivate their own garden
Give them control
Make it fun and exciting
Eat what you grow

–One of our all time favorites has been our sprout house science project we grew all from chia seeds!

If you are planting seeds for the first time you can try our method and here is a step by step guide:

Use clean egg shells or recycled yogurt cups.
Let your preschooler place dirt about 3/4 full in each container, press down dirt to compact a little bit.
Place 2-3 seeds and then let your preschooler fill the rest of the container with dirt.
Water your seeds.
Set in a window sill or a place that it will receive sunlight.
Keep the dirt moist and your seeds will be sprouting in no time.

Gardening Benefits in Early Childhood Development

Kids learn by watching what you do and how you act. So, let them see your curiosity and learn from your efforts. Let them see your joy at opening flowers and ripe tomatoes.

It encourages them to eat healthier because they are enjoying the fruits of their labor
It provides engaging and moderate exercise
It builds confidence
It improves focus and memory
It relieves stress
Engages all of the senses
Enhances fine motor skills
Introduces basic Science concepts through STEAM
Teaches Responsibility
Teaches patience
Encourages outdoor activities

We are a husband and wife team, pairing our strengths together to teach our preschooler in the most fun and engaging way we possibly can. The mister is a high school educator at Northlake Christian school in Covington Louisiana and over the Innovation Center, which is all things STEAM. I am a SAHM that blogs pretty much everything we do in our little paradise, from what we eat, to where we travel to how we teach our little one. We hope you are inspired to incorporate STEAM into learning with your children. Follow us: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST