The garden is warming up and we’ve started planting out in the beds. Some carrots seem a perfect idea as both of my kids will eat them so with 2 varieties – an Early and a Autumn we should be covered throughout the year (we’ll get some more to plant in Autumn to overwinter).
With a seed bed prepared in advance the weeds removed and soil raked the kids (2 and 3 and a half) were able to set about planting the seeds with minimal help (a hand to hold seeds and sprinkle some more in ensuring that the area was covered.
Whilst you are growing the seeds why not read a book about seeds with your toddlers and preschoolers.
The kids use our seed dibbers to make a suitable trench or the seeds to go into. I know that they will over fill the trench with seeds but that is perfect for some thinning out later in the seasons.
The easiest way for young children to get the seeds into the trenches is to have the seeds on your hand and for them to pick them up from there to sprinkle into the trench to grow. Once the seeds are in the trenches cover up with soil and then water.
We have child sizes watering cans – see our equipment list for little green fingers for our recommendations they are traditional metal cans and perfect for little hands to carry even when full of water. Once the seeds were covered they filled up the cans from the water butt and watered them in.
Using homemade seed labels we marked what was in the rows and now they will grow.
Growing carrots from seed is a great activity for young children to do – as you can see little support is necessary and they can then tend to and have responsibility for their seeds over the growing time.
Cerys Parker
Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, high school teacher and mum. Realising that life doesn't have to be put on hold and you don't just have to survive whilst the kids are young she shares ideas to inspire you to LIVE with the kids, with activities to do together, recipes to cook and enjoy and family travel to make memories to last a lifetime.