Each Summer I swear I am going to start an vegetable garden. Each year I don’t. Here we are creeping into Spring and I’m just starting a small herb garden I manage to kill each year. So when my cousin suggested we garden with the kids for Earth Day a few weeks ago I jumped on board. I went to work on research and decided the egg carton garden was the best way to go for the kids. I can’t believe how much fun my son and his cousins had! We went to the store before they arrived and we picked out the potting soil, seeds for flowers and even a few for vegetables. We talked about what was going to grow and he even picked out the veggies that he liked. Yes we managed to fight over the tomatoes because he didn’t want them and I always wanted to try growing tomatoes.
They really loved scooping the potting soil into the egg carton and watering them. Yes kids love water. I should have known that they would love that part the most. Since this fun day we have yet to actually see anything sprout but my little guy has shown a lot of interest in watering my herb garden everyday. I bought him a little watering can just for him that he could lift and carry and he of course hates when I try and help him.
It’s really easy to get kids involved in outside activities like gardening. They really just want to be with you and they love the idea of knowing they are helping. It truly boosts their confidence in a way I never thought was possible. We even helped Daddy rake leaves this year, even if there was some jumping in the piles along the way. I always said I’d make a herb garden and a vegetable garden in the corner of our yard some year but before I bother my husband to build me the boxes, I must master how to care for the ones that sit out front of my door in a pot!
All you’ll need to start your kiddo’s egg carton garden is save your next egg carton, grab some potting soil, seeds of your choice and a plastic spoon. Rip off the cover of the egg crate. Have your child fill each egg hole with a little potting soil. Bury a seed inside and then scoop some more potting soil on top. Water and wait! It really is more about them helping with the process of making their own food to me. I was pretty sure nothing was going to actually bud because we had to work fast to keep their attention and I lost track of what seed was in which egg hole. However, it was enough to keep him coming back to helping Momma manage her herb garden, who knows maybe he’ll actually keep it alive for me this year. We won’t talk about the basil that may have already died.
Do you garden with your kids? I’d love to hear your stories so I can learn and get my kids more involved.
