by Christy (mom to Lucas, Toddlers)
Spring has sprung and it is time for planting! One of my favorite blogs, How Wee Learn, had a great post about planting last month, and I thought I would try it! Kids love to dig in the dirt, and there are many developmental benefits to letting your little ones help you plant (think fine motor coordination with scooping, filling and manipulating seeds!).
Go to your local garden center and choose seeds or starters. Usually I don’t start early enough to start with seeds, but kids love to plant seeds so it’s worth a try! Use this handy guide from the Farmer’s Almanac to decide when and what to plant.
What you need:
- Seeds or starter plants
- Seed starter pots (if using seeds)
- Small or medium pots (if using starters)
- Soil
- Spoons or small shovels
- Water
Her blog recommends mixing a large bucket of soil and water first, ready for little hands to scoop. Find a few small shovels or even just kitchen spoons. Let your little ones scoop away and fill the cups! Then, have them use their finger or a tool to poke 2 small holes in each pot. Help them to place a seed in each hole and cover it with dirt. If you’ve premixed water in with your dirt, there’s no need to water.
Let your kids marvel at their plants as they grow!