I have a daughter who is 2 years old and I would like to get her into growing her own vegetables so she knows where her food comes from. She is already into nature, birds and wildlife which we have a lot of in the garden already.

Pros of Growing vegetables with children

• Harvesting fruits like strawberries or vegetables like tomatoes or climbing beans are fun for children
• Knowing where their food comes from and how it grows
• A little helper in the vegetable garden
• Being outdoors in the fresh air can tire some children
• Teaching children to check on the vegetables whenever you are in the garden so their excitement keeps growing (this works for adults as well!)
• Give children their own garden tools like a little watering can and a trowel or hand fork so they can dig in the garden and copy you
• Give children their own little bucket so they can collect things around the garden like stones, feathers, leaves, sticks, grass, weeds, plant labels
• Get your children to help plant onion or garlic bulbs or give them some seeds to sow in your plot to get them evolved in the planting process

Cons of Growing vegetables with children

• Don’t put your prized vegetables near the edge of your raised beds or pots in an arms reach of your child’s arm or they may be picked earlier than planned
• Check that nothing is left at their level that could be poisonous if they ate it
• Always wash their hands when returning from the garden
• Do not leave plant labels within a child’s grasp otherwise you won’t know what was planted where, as they will move the labels around