 |
Preschool Gardening
Preschoolers love to garden. Their natural curiosity about the world around them makes it
easy for you to expose your little one a love of growing. Gardening organically makes this
activity safe for even the littlest gardener.
|
Tips for Parents when gardening with PreschoolersExpect to get dirty. It will wash off.Plant a variety of plants, with different germination rates. It makes the waiting more bearable if your child can see some plants starting to grow while waiting for others. Keep in mind, you may not be able to plant the whole garden in one day. Some activities will be more interesting to your budding gardener than others. Talk about the process of planting & plant growth, but don't make it a lecture. Preschoolers will learn more through the actual activity. When planting with more than one child, make sure each child has similar tools  to avoid problems.
Remember not to over-expose your child to sun. Wear a garden garden hat and do not work during the
hottest part of the day.
Keep your child bug bite free using a natural bug repellent while gardening. |
Container gardening for preschoolers
All sorts of things can become gardens. All you need is something that will hold soil and let the
water out.  If it is not the season to plant outside or don't have a yard, a container garden is just the thing to talk about plants with your future gardener. To make a child's simple container garden, you will need a container of some sort with drainage hole, potting soil, flower & vegetable seeds, fertilizer or plant food & water. Fill the container with potting soil. Add the drop in fertilizer or plant food. Mix it well with the potting soil. Add the plant seeds. Space them far enough apart that the plants won't choke each other out. Let your child help decide what type of plant seeds he or she would like. A variety of low growing plants and vines make a beautiful and varied garden. Cover the seeds lightly with more potting soil and water thoroughly. Allow your container garden to get enough light. One advantage of being in a container is you can move the garden if you see that it isn't doing well in a particular area. Make sure your container plant does not dry out. Add compost to keep the soil underneath moist and water regularly. If you are planting climbing plants like tomatoes or cucumber, be sure to provide support as the vines grow. Steps to create a container garden Tips & Techniques for Container Gardens Small Space Container Gardening Vegetable Container Gardening |
Outside gardening for preschoolers |
|
Original Author Unknown Sung to: "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush." This is the way we plant our seeds, Plant our seeds, plant our seeds. This is the way we plant our seeds, Early in the morning. This is the way the wind does blow, Wind does blow, wind does blow. This is the way the wind does blow, Early in the morning. This is the way the rain comes down, Rain comes down, rain comes down. This is the way the rain comes down, Early in the morning. This is the way the sun shines bright, Sun shines bright, sun shines bright. This is the way the sun shines bright, Early in the morning. This is the way the seed grows up, Seed grows up, seed grows up. This is the way the seed grows up, Early in the morning. This is the way we hoe the soil, Hoe the soil, hoe the soil. This is the way we hoe the soil, Early in the morning. This is the way we pick our beans, Pick our beans, pick our beans. This is the way we pick our beans, Early in the morning. |
Pick a good spotPick a nice sunny spot for the garden. A south facing spot is best. Track the spot for several days to determine how much sun it gets and when the sun hits it to determine which plants are best for that spot. You might even build or buy a sundial to your garden and teach your child how you can
tell the time by the movement of the sun. It's a fun way to talk about shadows as well. Don't worry if you have a very shady yard. You can still garden with shade-loving plants. |
Check the dirtCheck to see how wet the ground is on a regular basis (and after rain). If the rain doesn't soak into the dirt easily, it might not be a good place for a garden (but maybe for a frog garden) You could also make a raised garden area if your dirt is less than ideal. Add 8-10 inches of dirt to the soil that is already there, enclosing the area with stones or logs. If you have a section where weeds and grass are already growing well, more than likely your flowers and vegetables will also grow well there. Also check to see how many worms you have--this may require a little digging. If you don't have any worms in that spot, there are a few things you can do to encourage worms to move there. Garden soil contains minerals, organic matter (rotting plant and animal parts), air spaces and water. If these things are not in the right balance you might have soil that is too clay, too sandy, too dry, too wet, or too hard. Before you start to plant think about what you can do to help your soil. You may need to help condition your soil. Look into getting some soil conditioner or feed. This is also a good time to start composting
Composting for Kids |
PlantsWhat you decide to grow is up to you. Take into consideration the amount of sun your garden area gets, the type of soil you have, and how long it takes for the plants to grow. Mix your vegetables with flower plants. Its both beneficial to the plants and makes a bright cheery garden. Vegetables Flowers |
WateringRain is the best source of water for your seeds and plants. Most plants need about one inch of water per week. You can make a rain gauge easily with a can and ruler. If your week's rain total is less than an inch you will need to water your plants. You can water your plants by using water cans or a sprinkler. For preschoolers, they may enjoy a little hand watering but tire before the whole garden is adequately watered. We've found it fun to set up an inexpensive lawn sprinkler so that half the arch waters the garden and the other half waters my little guy. Adding composted mulch around your plants helps keep the moisture in and reduces water waste. |
FeedingPlants absorb nutriets through their leaves and roots. Therefore a healthy plant will have nutrients available through both sources. If your soil is well balanced, the plant will feed itself. If not, consider adding organic soil conditioner or foliar feed. |
Planting a butterfly gardenMost butterflies only eat flower nectar. These 5 nectar-rich plants and flowers are good choices for butterfly attracting plants.
|
|
Original Author unknown Sung to: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" Flutter, flutter, butterfly. Floating in the summer sky. Floating by for all to see, Floating by so merrily. Flutter, flutter, butterfly, Floating in the summer sky. |
Encourage Bats & Birds & Bees to take up residenceBees, Birds & Bats in a garden help become and stay a healthy garden. Orchard Mason Bees are good early pollinators. Look into building or buying a Bee Nest Box for your garden.More information on Orchard Mason Bees Original Author Unknown 6 buzzing bumblebees Flying around the hive One buzzes off and that leaves 5. 5 buzzing bumblebees Flying near my door, 1 buzzes off and that leaves 4 4 buzzing bumblebees Flying around a tree, 1 busses off and that leaves 3 3 buzzing bumblebees In the sky so blue 1 buzzes of and that leaves 2 2 buzzing bumblebees Flying by the sun 1 buzzes off and that leaves 1 1 buzzing bumblebee Looking for some fun It buzzes off and that leaves none.  A single bat can eat up to 1000 insects a night. Bats are also important for pollination, just like bees. Encourage bats to nest near your garden with a bat house
Provide nesting areas for both bats & birds to help keep your insect population managable.  Adding bird feeders will help bring birds to your garden. Birding is also a fun natural activity for your preschool child. How to grow a bird garden |
Climate & Weather in Gardening
which predicts the day's weather to add to a child's love
and understanding of climate and weather change.Original Author Unknown Sung to: Oh, My Darling Clementine" What's the weather, What's the weather. What's the weather, everyone? Is it windy, is it cloudy, Is there rain or is there sun? |
Parts of a PlantWith preschoolers, it is important to keep it simple and fun.Original Author Unknown Sung to: "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Do you know the parts of plants, parts of plants? Do you know the parts of plants, parts of plants? All kinds of plants that grow and grow and grow. Do you know the parts of plants, parts of plants? The roots hold the plant in place, plant in place. The roots hold the plant in place, plant in place. The roots store food and water too. The roots hold the plant in place, plant in place. The stem moves water up the plant, up the plant. The stem moves water up the plant, up the plant. The stem brings water to the leaves. The stem moves water up the plant, up the plant. The leaves soak up the sun, soak up the sun. The leaves soak up the sun, soak up the sun. The sun helps the plant to grow and grow and grow. The leaves soak up the sun, soak up the sun. The flower grows into a fruit, into a fruit. The flower grows into a fruit, into a fruit. Inside the fruit are little, tiny seeds. The flower grows into a fruit, into a fruit. |