"Getting Your Hands Dirty: The Surprising Perks of Teaching Kids to Garden"
Issue No. 49
Getting Your Hands Dirty
The Surprising Perks of Teaching Kids to Garden
Elsie turned 18 months on the 18th and is off to the races. She’s babbling up a storm, really on the move, and all-in on activities. She’s also somehow, anti-mess, which is ironic for a toddler. The minute her hands get dirty or she spots a dot on the rug, she urgently exclaims, “mess! mess!” On her first few beach days, she perched on a towel, pointing to the sand and saying “mess?” Tim hates sand, so I guess she’s her father’s daughter. Needless to say, I’m a little desperate to get her comfortable with being messy.
Enter: gardening. When I saw my friend Sam introduce her daughter (who’s a tiny bit older than Elsie) to gardening, I had a lightbulb moment! I then remembered a best friend of my sister-in-law, Kaitlin Sennatt, is an expert on gardening with kids (so much so that she created a Substack entirely dedicated to the topic!). She’s taking a break from it now (this tends to happen when your paying job heats up…) but will be coming back to it soon. I’d recommend signing up for it now so you’re on the list when she’s ready!
As it turns out, home gardening isn't just about getting your little one comfortable with dirt. It's about getting kids (and yourself!) outside, getting your hands dirty, unplugging from life for a second, and creating healthy eating habits that actually stick. Below kids' gardening expert @Kaitlin Sennatt shares how even the most amateur gardeners (that would be me!) can get started.
Kaitlin is a food-and-flower-loving mom of two. She started Idle Acre as an experiment in growing veggies in her backyard and sharing it with readers. At its heart, this project is about teaching her kids the beauty of living with nature and fostering the habits that lead to a full and vibrant life.
LW: In your experience, why is gardening (for both kids and adults) so valuable?
KS: More fruits and veggies, less screen time, more wonder, feeling the grass under their toes. As they get older: patience, responsibility…
LW: How did your interest in gardening (+ with kids) come about?
KS: My parents are both really big gardeners. I have early memories of them spending hours and hours in the garden every day of Spring and Summer. As I got older, every time I came home from being away, the first thing my dad would do is give me a garden tour. I came to enjoy the predictability of those moments. Once, many years back, my dad made sure there were yellow and white flowers blooming on the day of my friend’s bridal shower at our house to match her wedding colors. He started so far in advance to nail it. I’ll never forget the care that went into that.
I got more into food gardening later, after I started getting more into health in my late 20s. I was thinking more about what goes into our bodies and started shopping at farmers’ markets, etc. When my oldest daughter Lily was born, I really started to think about what kind of childhood I wanted to create for her. I wanted to pass on knowledge like the importance of good, whole food, the rhythm of the seasons, and an appreciation for just being outside. I have a feeling my interests in what I focus on (veggies, perennials, cut flowers…) will change over time, but right now with little kids I’m so excited about veggies.
LW: When setting up an at-home garden with kids, what’s your first move? (What's the very first step for overwhelmed parents?)
Just buy the darn bed! Hit “Buy Now” on Amazon, set it up over the weekend, then worry about the next steps. My one piece of advice though: if you just put a basil plant in a small pot, you likely won’t catch the bug. Try committing to a 2x4 box on legs. It’s tiny enough, but you’ll learn so much more by fumbling through a slightly larger setup. Trial by fire, as they say. Remember that you’ll never achieve gardening perfection, anyways, and if all your plants die the first summer, so what!
Lacey note: The bed I just bought is here.
Setup took us about an hour. And, when when I say us, I mean my dad, who loved the excuse to get our his drill and build something. Lucky us :)
LW: How early should you start with kids for maximum engagement? Feels like Elsie at 18 months is just now ready!
KS: Agree – 18 months is a great time. At this age, Lily was old enough to know red tomatoes = snack, green = wait. Gardening is like cooking with little kids: just give them a job, it doesn’t have to be a helpful job. I try to leave a patch of bare soil in my garden where my daughter can dig and water with absolute abandon. She doesn’t know she’s not helping with the end goal and my plants don’t get waterlogged.
Also, attention spans are short, so consider parking a water table or some chalk nearby so kids can come and go as they please, but still be with you outside.
LW: Container vs. ground gardening: what do you recommend for beginners? (Especially for families with limited space or people who are renting?)
KS: Container every time. That could be a raised bed or some large pots on your patio. A raised box + a few bags of organic mix can be done in a nap time. Amending soil or worrying about rocks is another undertaking…
LW: What's your go-to soil setup? (Any specific brands you swear by for kid-friendly gardens?)
KS: If you’re going through all the trouble of growing your own food, use organic everything…
Organic raised bed mix:
And, don’t forget about fertilizer! You should be fertilizing every 2-3 weeks through the summer for great production. I use Garden Tone for general veggies, and Tomato Tone for tomatoes.
LW: What plants are both easy for kids and actually exciting for them to grow?
KS: I aim for quick producing, colorful and bite-sized. And sweet is a bonus! Especially if your kids are little, I’d skip root crops. It’s not as fun as seeing the veggies grow above ground.
Cherry tomatoes (come in all colors like red, pink, yellow)
Snap peas (sweet and fun to pick)
Lettuce (really quick producing, cuts come back in days and even if your kids won’t eat lettuce, it’s fun to watch – and you can eat it!)
Another easy win: grow dahlias. They’re so easy to plant. I chose all pink varieties and I know my daughter will flip out when all the big pink dinner plate dahlias are in full bloom.
LW: How do you handle seasonal gardening with kids who want instant gratification? (Do you the ever buy and plant things that have already started growing? I’m curious about doing this!)
You can definitely buy seedlings! Choose organic if you can find it.
One reason I start my own seeds is because I like choosing obscure varieties like purple carrots, rainbow chard, and pink cherry tomatoes that you won’t find at Home Depot. When you’re ready, you could try starting a tomato plant and a few basil under a grow light – and your kids would see the whole process. I have a short shopping list here.
LW: Any tricks for incorporating colorful veggie varieties that your kids will actually want to eat?
Yes, color is your best friend – but don’t underestimate the power of bite sized and sweet. It’s harder to taste an eggplant while you’re in the garden. Snap peas and cherry tomatoes? Sweet and so easy to grab.
LW: What are your must-have gardening tools - both kid-sized and adult tools that work well for family gardening?
Tools are the toys of the garden, and were really the gateway drug (to gardening..) for my daughter that got her so into it.
The Kid Essentials
Tiny gloves (I’ve tried a bunch of gloves, these were my favorites).
(Lacey Note: I have not been impressed by the kids’ gardening tools selection…that’s one idea I have for Idle Acre…).
The Adult Essentials
For adults, good tools are so important and make everything easier.
Gloves: pick up a pair at your local nursery or Home Depot. Whatever feels good to you, so personal.
Twine in a Tin (It’s perfection. They also sell them on Amazon).
Pruners (I really like having small scissors for veggies, but you will want to have a heavier duty one on-hand just in case).
LW: the heavy duty Fiskars remind me of my dad’s favorite of all-time pair of scissors.
LW: Beyond growing food, what are the deeper benefits you see when kids (& adults) garden? (Mental health, nature connection, responsibility, etc.)
Enjoy the process
Honestly, backyard veggies aren’t going to feed the family through winter. That’s not the point. The point is the act of doing it, enjoying (and appreciating) the process. I promise you’ll never toss an unused head of lettuce in the trash without guilt again. That small awareness – to respect how food gets on your plate – is huge for kids.
Get outside
For toddlers, the garden is just an excuse to be outside first and on screens second. Over time, “going out” becomes the default, not a chore. As they grow, the lesson changes to consistency: plants (and chickens, if you have them, like us!) don’t care about your mood. Discipline beats motivation: you show up, you water, you weed. It’s done.
Zone out
There’s also the mental side. With kids, jobs and constant dings on my phone, I find fewer and fewer moments of “flow” in my life. Like painting or running for some, gardening is one of those things for me that takes me away and makes me really concentrate on what I’m doing.
Find some wonder
Gardens deliver wonder. This spring, Lily and I constantly checked on the daffodils she (and her dad) had planted. When they bloomed gorgeously and then finally faded out, she asked where they went. I said something like: “Everything has its season, and wow, weren’t they glorious while they lasted?” A lesson in “enjoy the moment!” taught by flowers.
One Parting Thought:
