Having the opportunity to grow vegetables with kids is a rewarding experience. Gardening in general opens up a whole new world for hobbies and fond memories to bloom. The excitement children can get from watching a seed grow into something they get to harvest and eat is worth the effort of starting a garden.
If you are looking to get into gardening as a hobby with the children in your life, we’ve gathered some ideas of vegetables that can start your gardening venture and what makes these veggies a great option to try with children.
1. Carrots
-Fast growing
-Can eat straight from the ground or wash easily after picking
-You can easily grow a lot which can be exciting for children getting to grow their own food
-Easy to harvest for small hands
-Versatile food to cook with
Contains: Beta-carotene (helps keep eyes healthy), Vitamin C, High in fibre, Calcium and Vitamin K.
2. Tomatoes
-You can grow a lot at once
-You can have many different varieties with different colours and shapes
-Plants that grow as vines are magical to children as they grow wildly and tall.
Contains: Vitamin C, Potassium, Folate and Vitamin K.
3. Potatoes
-Fun to harvest as a family (feels like a treasure hunt as you dig through the soil to find potatoes)
-Versatile to cook with (good for picky eaters)
-You can grow a lot which can be exciting for children
Contains: Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium, High in fibre, Folate and Magnesium.
4. Kohlrabi
-Funky-shaped vegetable
-Can be different colours depending on the variety
-They can grow fairly fast in the right conditions
-They aren’t a vegetable you would usually choose to eat, so this can help introduce new foods to your kids.
-They’ll be excited that they grew the vegetables too, so they will be more willing to try them out.
Contains: Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Iron, Calcium and High in fibre.
5. Beets
-Easy to grow in the right conditions
-Vibrant colours
-Very healthy
-Easy to harvest
-A variety of colours to choose from. (There’s a candy cane beet and its the cutest vegetable!)
Contains: Folate (Vitamin B9), High in nitrates, Potassium, Manganese, Vitamin A and C.
6. Peas
-Plants that grow as vines are magical to children as they grow wildly and tall.
-Produces a lot
-Can be snacked on right off the vine
-Delicious
-Fun to watch grow
-Easy to grow
-Children get excited to harvest them
Contains: High in protein, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and Folate.
7. Brussel Sprouts
-Funky growing vegetable
-Fun to harvest off the stem
-Fun to watch grow
-Delicious when roasted or added to a salad
Contains: Potassium, Vitamin K, Folate, Iron, Rich in antioxidants, Beta-carotene and high in fibre.
8. Pumpkins
-Recommended for an advanced gardener but possible if you willing to try
-I add this because I think we can all imagine the excitement not just from us but from the kids if we actually grew a pumpkin! What an accomplishment that would be!
-Fun to watch get bigger
Contains: High in Fibre, Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and Beta-carotene.
9. Bell Peppers
-Vibrant and versatile colours to talk about colours
-Easy raw snack to have at hand
-Let each child have their own plant to watch and harvest the peppers for themselves
Contains: Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K1, Potassium, Folate, Vitamin E and Vitamin A.
10. Cucumelons
-They look like mini watermelons but taste like cucumbers.
cute little snacks
-You can pickle them
-Would be fun to watch them grow
Contains: High in fibre, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta-carotene, Lycopene and Potassium.
These are just ideas of what kinds of vegetables we would recommend trying growing with children. Always read about how to plant the seeds on the packet or online before growing.
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