Gardening with Kids: 5 Easy Vegetables to Grow

Gardening is a fun and easy nature adventure to do with kids of any age. Kids love getting messy, muddy and digging around in the earth. They also love being outside, being active, learning about new things and taking care of their very own project. All these things make gardening a perfect activity for kids. Today, we have the absolutely amazing Jemma of thimbleandtwig.com (English teacher and mom to 4 in London) here sharing tips on starting a vegetable garden and 5 easy vegetables to grow with kids.

Benefits of gardening with kids

There are so many great reasons to get kids involved in gardening. As outdoor activities go, gardening is a wonderful and well-rounded way to teach a valuable skill and connect kids to the earth. Half the fun of gardening is eating what you sow and kids that grow gardens tend to eat healthier and are more likely to try new fruits and vegetables. I’m always amazed at what my kiddos will eat when they’ve spent some time growing it with their own fair hands! Gardening is also a physical activity that gets kids outdoors and gets their hands in the dirt. This physical contact with nature is an immeasurable benefit to kids. Gardening can also build confidence by making children feel more skilled and capable.

No land, no problem!

You don’t have to own a big plot of land to garden. Fruit and vegetables can easily be grown in containers or hanging pots on a balcony, fence or windowsill or even inside if you’re a city dweller! Strawberries do very well in hanging baskets, for example. And tomatoes absolutely thrive in containers, so long as they have ample sunlight. Radishes do great in deep pots and beans grow well in pots with a trellis.

Experimental gardening

Last year, we built a couple of vegetable boxes in our garden for our children to grow vegetables. We had an experimental year where we planted lots of different types of fruit and vegetables and waited to see which ones would do well and which ones didn’t make it to the table! Some of the fruit and vegetables didn’t grow properly or were eaten by birds (I thoroughly recommend a net over any fruit you might grow!).

Even if all your crops fail – simply the experience of planting, tending and nurturing vegetables can help instill a sense of responsibility in children and help them care for their environment. Their excitement at the first glimpse of a little shoot after they’ve planted the seed – is priceless! They are always so excited at the first glimpse of green!

Five easy vegetables to grow with kids

If you’re looking to start a vegetable garden or grow a few container plants, here are 5 easy vegetables to grow with kids (plus a bonus fruit). These vegetables are easy and foolproof to grow with kids. We had a great experience growing these plants last year and we’re not particularly green-fingered in the garden! This goes to show that if we can grow something – anyone can!

1. Green Beans

Green beans are perfect for growing in a vegetable garden with kids.  They are easy to plant, grow and withstand a variety of weather. There are lots of different types of beans – runner, climbing French beans and dwarf beans. Beans are perfect for a sunny, well-drained spot and can also be grown in pots. You will need something for them to grow up (some type of trellis or climbing netting), but this is easy to construct from canes and twine. We found that beans grow quickly and that the runner beans and broad beans were the best hit with our kids. They loved picking them and popping them open to discover the beans inside.

2. Carrots

Carrots are another easy vegetable to grow because they survive in most climates. If you have a vegetable bed, you may need to grow a shorter version like Chantenay Carrots that don’t need as much space. These are also the best variety to grow in colder temperatures too. Since you cannot see how big your carrots are growing underground, picking the first carrot is always so much fun! It’s a total surprise and you never know what you’re going to get. The kids love choosing their carrot stem and seeing what comes up when they pull!

3. Potatoes

Potatoes are an amazing vegetable to grow with children because you can grow them in container bags and you don’t need a veggie patch! Plus, nearly all kids like eating potatoes since they are versatile to cook with. As you start with a seed potato, it’s a little bit like a science experiment for kids, which is lots of fun. My kids liked waiting for the ‘eyes’ to grow and once the seed potatoes have ‘eyes’, you can plant them in a deep bucket or potato bag (some even have a see portion so you can watch them grow). Every time the plants reach the surface, kids should cover with more soil. Potatoes are an easy vegetable for kids to learn how to take care of themselves. A good tip is to wait until all the flowers on the potato plant have nearly died back before harvesting your potatoes.

4. Cherry tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are another great vegetable to grow with kids. (Ok, yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit.) Cherry tomato plants are usually high yielding and produce a ton of little red tomatoes. These are perfect for snacking on (pop them directly into your mouth!), throw them in a salad or skewer them for kabobs. They’re also a bit sweet, so kids like them much more than larger varieties.

5. Peas

Peas are also easy to grow and grow quickly and they can be grown in pots. They are the most fun to harvest as the kids love shelling them from their pea pods! Peas can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days which makes them perfect for getting the most out of your crop. My kids (and I) love the sugar snap pea variety because they’re so crunchy and sweet. For more tips on growing peas with kids – see this article from The Educator’s Spin on It!

Bonus: strawberries and raspberries

Not a vegetable, but I’m adding this in as a bonus because kids LOVE strawberries! Strawberries and raspberries are perfect for growing with children because they are truly delicious! Homegrown berries are so much sweeter and juicier than you buy at the store. Kids love peeking under the leaves of the plants to find the red ripe strawberries or raspberries. In our garden, the strawberries didn’t ever make it back from the garden though! Strawberries can be grown in any part of your garden and can take up either a small or large space, depending on what you have available.

Be sure to check out my website for more tips on Growing a Vegetable Garden with Kids, including how to make a handy wooden spoon planter to label your vegetables! Have great fun growing in your garden with kids! We’d love to hear what successes you’ve had in your vegetable garden!

Are you growing a garden with your kids this summer?
(it’s not too late to start one)
What are you growing?

Meet the author

I’m Jemma and I live in London, England with my husband and 4 kids. My all-time favorite thing to do is take photos and capture memories of my family. I’m on a mission to ensure parenthood doesn’t rush by so quickly by creating mini family outdoor adventures and hopefully some big adventures too, one day! I’m a mum to four and an English teacher to many; my passion for storytelling, adventures and nature crafts is packaged up into my blog www.thimbleandtwig.com.

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @thimbleandtwig