In our experience, children love gardening. They enjoy getting their hands dirty, planting seeds, and watching something they’ve grown come to life. If you’re wondering where to start, here are some great easy plants for kids to grow, both outdoors and indoors.
Most of these plants can be grown in containers, so don’t let a small garden (or no garden at all) stop you from growing things with your child.
Easy Plants For Kids To Grow
Outdoor Plants for Kids to Grow
Flowers. Pansies, nasturtiums and sweet peas are really quick and easy to grow.
Salad leaves. Kids love growing and then picking their own lettuce mixes and rocket.
Peas and beans. These grow quite tall, so it’s good to have a frame or something for them to cling to as they climb upwards.
Cherry tomatoes. Kids love picking them once they ripen.
Start a herb garden. Try rosemary, chives and mint in containers.
Sunflowers. These are always a winner with kids, especially once the flower grows taller than they are! Here are some tips for growing sunflowers successfully.
You may also enjoy The Best Plants For A Butterfly Garden.
Indoor Plants for Kids to Grow
Cress is a great plant to start with, as it grows really quickly and doesn’t even need soil — you can grow it on a paper towel. Try our Fun Cress Gardening Project or why not try growing Eggy Cressheads?
You may also enjoy 7 Fun Ways To Grow Cress.
Another easy indoor plant is the spider plant. Take an offshoot and put it in water in a jar, then plant it out in compost once roots have formed. These tend to grow very quickly.
Try scented geraniums too — a lovely indoor plant, as the leaves give off a nice scent when rubbed and they flower regularly. As with spider plants, you can root a cutting in water before planting it out in a pot with compost.
You may also enjoy 10 Easy To Grow Vegetables For First Time Gardeners.
More Tips For Gardening With Kids
#### #1. Watch Young Children
When you have young children in the garden, take care over what you plant. No matter how reliable you think your child is, they may decide to taste the seeds or berries they find growing nearby. So keep a close eye on them whenever you’re gardening together.
#### #2. Teach Them To Recognise Plants
Where possible, teach children to recognise which foods are edible, and to only pick and eat them when an adult is present.
#### #3. Take Care with Kids and Plants
Check before you buy plants to make sure they’re safe for children. If you move house or visit a new garden, find out about the existing plants — and remember that even if your own children know the difference, visiting children may not. Many poisonous plants have berries that look particularly tempting, such as yew.
You may also enjoy Tips for Growing Vegetables and Making Gardening Fun for Kids.
Over to you now — do you have any tips to share on easy plants for kids to grow? Share them with us in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest plants for kids to grow outdoors?
Flowers like pansies, nasturtiums and sweet peas are quick and forgiving for beginners. Salad leaves, peas, beans and cherry tomatoes are also great choices, as kids get the extra fun of picking and eating what they’ve grown.
What are good indoor plants for kids to grow?
Cress is one of the easiest — it grows fast and doesn’t even need soil. Spider plants and scented geraniums are also simple to grow indoors from cuttings or offshoots.
Do I need a big garden to grow plants with my child?
Not at all. Most of the plants in this list, from herbs to salad leaves, grow perfectly well in containers, so a windowsill, balcony or small patio is enough to get started.
Is gardening safe for young children?
Gardening is a wonderful activity for kids, but young children should always be supervised, since they may be tempted to taste seeds or berries. It’s worth checking that any plants in your garden are child-safe and teaching children to only eat what an adult says is okay.
Related Articles
- How to Grow Sunflowers Successfully
- The Best Plants for a Butterfly Garden
- Gardening with Kids: Fun with Cress
- 7 Fun Cress Ideas to Introduce Your Child to Growing Your Own
- 10 Easy to Grow Vegetables for First Time Gardeners
- Tips and Hints for Growing Vegetables
- Making Gardening Fun for Kids
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If you liked these ideas, why not browse more of our family activity ideas for inspiration on your next project together?
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