by Sage from Oregon
A really fun activity that introduces young children to gardening is growing peas. It can be done in a very small space, and the peas are a lot of fun for toddlers to harvest.
Last Spring when my daughter was two, I was looking for a plant that she could grow on our porch. I decided to plant peas with her, as the seeds are large so it was easy for her to plant them, and they grow very easily. All that was needed was a large flower pot, a package of pea seeds, and some soil.
After gathering the materials for her, my daughter was ready to garden. She really enjoyed filling the pot with soil, and practiced counting when she planted the seeds. Over the next few weeks she watered and watched the plants start growing. We really enjoyed seeing the plants get bigger.
After a couple months the pea pods developed, and my daughter enjoyed the “snap” of pulling a pea pod off the plant, and getting the peas out of the pod. I had her put the peas in a pot, and we cooked them for dinner (with additional peas from the store; one plant only produces a few pods). When we ate the peas we talked with her about how she grew some of the peas for dinner, and how she had worked hard to grow healthy food. She really enjoyed making a contribution to the meal. It was easy to see how proud she was of herself, and she talks about how this year she wants to plant peas again.
This blog was written by one of our guest bloggers, Sage.
About Sage. . . I am the parent of a three year old and enjoy doing different gardening and outdoor activities with her.
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