Indoor Gardening for Children

If you have young children around, an indoor garden is the perfect project to teach them about nature.  It is also an avenue to teach children about the responsibility needed to care for something on an ongoing basis.  Simple is best, even for older children – as they prove themselves and their garden thrives they can expand the plants that they grow.

To enrich the learning opportunity purchase clear containers to grow the plants in.  If you can not find a traditional pot that is clear make sure the container you use either has a drainage hole in the bottom or layer gravel on the bottom before adding the soil.  Once the plant starts to grow more the roots will become visible in the pot.

Image via WikipediaChildren will love to grow their own vegetables and maybe even eat them once they are ready.  Buy each child a large container that is theirs to take care of and let them pick the type of vegetable they want to grow.  The easiest vegetables to grow indoors are carrots, tomatoes, and radishes.  There are a wide variety of tomatoes that you can grow from beefsteak to cherry tomato.

The next time you eat an orange, save the seeds.  Children can plant the seeds in small containers about 1 inch down into the soil.  By keeping the plant watered and in the sunlight, in two to three weeks they will have their own citrus tree growing.  They can choose to keep it indoors or plant it outside in the summer when the small plant has become bigger and stronger.  Try the same with other fruit seeds too from watermelon to apple seeds, for some fun and variety.

Getting children to help with your houseplants is a good idea too.  Children love to help out with adult chores and it gives you a break at the same time.