10 Easy Flowers for Kids to Grow

Growing flowers with kids is a great way to get them interested in gardening.

Planting flower seeds and watching them grow teaches children responsibility, patience, and helps them to develop a love for nature.

In this article I’ve listed 10 beautiful flowers that are easy for kids to grow.

Some of these flowers can be grown directly in the garden, while others can be planted in pots.

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child growing flowers

10 EASY FLOWERS FOR KIDS TO GROW

1. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)

Sunflowers are one of the easiest flowers for kids to grow because the seeds are easy to handle and they grow fast. 

Plant some giant sunflowers in a sunny spot in the garden or plant dwarf sunflowers in containers if you haven’t got much garden space.

Once the flowers have finished blooming you can show your kids how to collect the seeds so they can feed the birds or save them to grow more sunflowers next year.

2. Nasturtiums  (Tropaeolum majus)

Nasturtiums are fast-growing annual flowers that come in a variety of colors including orange, yellow, red and cream.

All parts of nasturtium plants are edible so kids can have fun picking the flowers and leaves to decorate their meals.

Nasturtium seeds can be planted directly in the garden, but you can also plant them in containers or hanging baskets.

The trick to growing an abundance of nasturtium flowers is to avoid fertilizing them because fertilizer encourages the plants to grow lots of leaves, but not many flowers.

nasturtium flower baskets

3. Marigolds (Tagetes)

Marigolds have large, brightly colored flower heads that kids will love growing. 

They’re easy to care for, drought tolerant and great for attracting bees to the garden.

Try planting Sparky mix for a colorful display or giant Crackerjack marigolds that will really stand out in the garden. 

It’s also a good idea to plant some marigolds around your vegetable garden to help repel pests.

large marigold flowers

4. Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

Zinnias are beautiful, daisy-like flowers that come in a wide range of vibrant colors.

It’s best to sow zinnia seeds directly in the garden once the risk of frost has passed because they don’t like being transplanted.

Zinnias are great for attracting butterflies and bees to the garden, which makes them an excellent choice to grow with children.

The plants produce more flowers if they’re picked regularly, so you can encourage your little ones to make some beautiful zinnia bouquets.

zinnia flowers

5. Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus)

Sweet peas are ideal for a kids flower garden because they’re super easy to grow and the flowers have a beautiful fragrance.

Sweets peas are climbing flowers so they’ll need a trellis, fence or teepee to grow up.

They bloom from spring until early summer and the flowers can be picked regularly to make beautiful bouquets.

Important note: Sweet pea flowers are mildly toxic but only cause problems if they’re ingested in large quantities. [1]

sweet pea flowers

6. Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) 

Snapdragons are another excellent annual flower for little gardeners to grow. 

Kids love squeezing the flowers because it looks like the mouth of a dragon opening and closing.

Snapdragons grow best in full sun and they’re frost tolerant so you can plant them early in the season.

Snapdragons are usually grown as annuals but they’ll come back again the following year if they’re well cared for.

snapdragon flowers

7. Stock (Matthiola incana)

Stock are popular cottage garden flowers that come in many colors and have an interesting spicy fragrance.

They grow 2 to 2.5 feet (60 to 75cm) tall and bloom from spring until summer.

Stock flowers are best suited to cool climates because they need low temperatures under 65°F (18°C) to bloom.

stock flowers

8. Poppy (Papaver spp.)

Poppies are colorful, delicate flowers that are great for children’s gardens.

The seeds need light to germinate, so sprinkle them lightly on the soil but don’t cover them.

Poppies attract a lot of butterflies and birds, so they’re great to get the kids interested in nature.

Poppy plants reseed easily, so you’ll have lots of new plants popping up the next year.

Orange poppies

9. Strawflowers (Helichrysum bracteatum syn. Xerochrysum bracteatum)

Strawflowers are low maintenance colorful flowers that are part of the daisy family.

They grow best in full sun and can tolerate hot temperatures.

Strawflowers can be orange, red, pink, purple, white or yellow and they’re ideal for cutting and turning into dried flower arrangements.

strawflowers

10. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

The last flower on this list of kid-friendly flower plants is cosmos.

They’re fast growing, drought tolerant annual flowers that are great for attracting butterflies and birds to the garden.

Cosmos flowers have long stems that can be damaged by strong winds so it’s best to plant them in a spot that is protected from the wind.

cosmos flowers

How to plant flower seeds with kids

Flower seeds can be started in pots indoors or sowed directly into the garden once the risk of frost has passed. 

Add some potting soil to a container or seedling tray and spread it out into an even layer.

Check the seed packet to determine how deep the seeds need to be planted.

Some flower seeds need light to germinate, while others need to be fully covered with soil to germinate.

Use a popsicle stick to label the pots and use a spray bottle to keep the soil moist.

Starting seeds indoors is a fun activity for kids because they can watch the seedlings grow each day. 

The seedlings can then be transplanted out to the garden once the temperature has warmed up.

child watering flowers

RELATED ARTICLES

So there are 10 child-friendly flowers to plant in your garden.

Giving kids the opportunity to plant and grow their own flowers is an excellent way to get them interested in gardening.

Have you tried growing flowers with your children? Which flowers did they like growing best? Let me know in the comments below.

Are you on Pinterest? I have boards dedicated to Flower Gardening and Garden Ideas that you may enjoy. You can also find me on Facebook.

growing flowers with kids

Kelly Martin

Hi, I'm Kelly Martin, a landscape gardener and designer with over 10 years experience. I have a passion for small space gardening and I love designing and creating beautiful outdoor spaces that maximize the potential of small urban gardens. Read more