Farm to Pre-School

Hello Children's Classic family!  

One of the things all kids have in common is curiosity.  Have you ever met a child that isn't curious about his or her environment with a need to explore and learn?  I sure haven't!  Even our babies are curious about that drawer mom always gets into or that butterfly that keeps flying around.  They look at new things with so much wonder and most will stop at nothing to figure out how things work and what things do.  

I can't think of a better way to keep that curiosity alive in our children than to plant a garden and have them be the gardener!  We all eat food, why not find out where that food comes from?  Why not be the ones to grow that food and watch it transform into something beautiful and yummy that our kids can fully experience? 

That is what we have been working on here at Children's Classic!  Both of our schools have been working on a project called Farm to Preschool.  Have you heard of it? We are so excited about it over here!  We have our own living gardens that your children are planting, watering, growing, harvesting and then eating!  They are learning to make smoothies with the strawberries and soup with the vegetables.  We couldn't be more excited about how much they are learning as they watch and actively participate in the process of growing a garden at preschool!  Here are some photos of our Farm to Preschool in action!

Let's try this at home! It doesn't take much space, a 4x4 foot space is manageable for most kids.  You can even plant in flower boxes or pots, pretty much any container will do.  Some plants are easier than others to grow.  Here is a list of some of the easiest to get you started!

6 Easy Plants for Kids to Grow

Green Beans

Green beans are one of the easiest plants to grow in your garden because they don't require very much maintenance! All you need to do is plant the some seeds in an area that will receive plenty of sunlight and sow every couple weeks.  The only thing other than that is the watch them grow!

Peas

Your child can plant these indoors in a small pot and when they start to grow, transfer them to some good soil outdoors.  It is so rewarding for kids to grow veggies because they get to eat what they grow, and who doesn't love peas?

Strawberries

Strawberries are another really fun one for kids to grow.  It is best to plant them in the Spring time!

Radishes

Radishes are one of the most fun plants for kids to grow because the sprout quickly.  They will likely see sprouts pop up usually within a week of planting.  Your child will be able to harvest their lovely radishes within 20 to 30 days!

Pumpkins

You may need a little more space for this one but just like radishes, pumpkins are a kid favorite because they sprout quickly.  They take up more room of course but how fun would it be to grow your own pumpkin to carve for Halloween!

Carrots

Kids love carrots so why not teach them how to grow them! Carrots need cool soil without big rocks so they can grow.  They usually are ready to be harvested in about one month from when planted.  

Explain to your kids that plants can grow above or below ground and the best part of growing your own garden is you have so many options!  They will love choosing what they want to grow and hopefully take ownership of that choice as they garden.

Some more "above ground" choices for kids are:  tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons and eggplant.

Some other "below ground" options are: onions, potatoes and beets.

There are even delicate plant options such as lettuces and spinach which may take some trial and error but it is fun for kids to go out and "pick" some salad greens for dinner.

**Remind them to water, weed and check on their plants regularly.  This is a great activity for children to see how things grow and understand how "farmers" contribute to the food chain.  When you help children plant seeds, you help them sprout their interest in nature!

Happy planting!  Let us know what plants you and your children are growing in your garden!

Sincerely,

Shalyse