Quick Growing Plants to Plant with Kids

Children LOVE to grow plants! Flowers or vegetables, it doesn't matter what they are! Growing plants is a great way to give children responsibility to care for something while also instilling a love of watching it grow.

When starting seeds with children, I discuss that ‘seeds are sleepy’ and won’t grow unless they are woken up with the right elements. Seeds need to be tucked into a warm bed of soil, and have lots of water and oxygen!

Some of my go to seeds to grow are:

Sunflowers

Marigolds

Zinias

Beans

Peas

Carrots

Cherry Tomatoes

Bulbs can also be a great lesson for children! Some fast growing bulbs are

-Gladiolus

-Amaryllis

Topics that can be discussed with the children are:

• the parts of the plant (seeds, roots, flowers, stems, leaves).

Other tips:

• Using a glass or see through container, line it with construction paper and then fill the inside with soil. Plant your seeds between the glass and construction paper and you will be able to see what is normally happening under the soil!

• You can also plant a bulb using a glass of see through container with some rocks and water on the bottom (just enough barely touch the bottom of the bulbs)

Jess’ favorite books to go with see planting lessons:

• A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long

• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

• Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert