Growing vegetable plants with kids is a fun activity and they can learn a lot about gardening and where their food comes from.
In this article I’ve listed 10 easy vegetables for kids to grow at home.
Some of these veggies can even be grown in containers or indoors if you have limited garden space.
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10 EASY VEGETABLES FOR KIDS TO GROW
1. Lettuce
Lettuces are easy to grow from seed and they only take a few days to germinate.
Loose leaf lettuce varieties like Oakleaf and Butterhead are perfect for kids because they can pick off a few of the outside leaves and the plants will keep growing.
Lettuces grow best during cool weather, such as in the spring and fall but you’ll need to harvest them before the first frost in late fall.
2. Microgreens
Microgreens are the shoots of salad vegetables that are picked when they’re a few inches tall.
Planting microgreens is a fun activity and it’s a great option for growing vegetables indoors with kids.
Fill a small container with potting soil and sprinkle the seeds generously on the surface of the soil.
Cover the seeds lightly with soil and keep the soil moist with a spray bottle.
Microgreens sprout quickly and they can be harvested 2 to 3 weeks after planting the seeds.
They’re perfect for growing indoors on a sunny windowsill and your kids can snip them off and sprinkle them on their meals or add them to sandwiches.
3. Radish
Radishes are one of the fastest growing salad vegetables and you can harvest them within 30 days.
They don’t take up much space in the garden so you can plant them in between other plants or grow them in containers.
Radishes have a spicy taste that some kids might not like but you can roast them to make the flavor a bit more mellow.
4. Cucumber
Cucumbers are fast growing and they require very little attention once planted.
If you have limited space you can grow cucumbers vertically on a trellis or wire fence or plant them in containers.
Lebanese cucumbers are a great choice for kids to grow because they’re small, crisp and they don’t have many seeds.
You can also grow cucamelons, which technically aren’t cucumbers, but they’re only about the size of a grape and great for kids to snack on.
5. Pumpkin
Pumpkins have large seeds that are easy for kids to plant and there are many different varieties that kids will love.
Try planting Jack O Lantern pumpkins for Halloween carving, or choose a miniature pumpkin variety like Jack Be Little or We Be Little which are small enough to grow up a trellis or wire fence.
Pumpkins take about 3 to 4 months to grow, so plant the seeds in early spring so they’ll be ready to harvest in fall.
If you have a short growing season you can plant pumpkin seeds in pots and transplant the seedlings out to the garden once the risk of frost has passed.
6. Carrots
Carrots are another vegetable crop that are easy for kids to grow and they can be grown in containers if you have limited garden space or hard clay soil.
Try planting some different colored varieties so that your kids get a little surprise while harvesting.
Some colorful carrot varieties include Purple Haze and Rainbow Mix.
7. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are always a favorite with kids and they’re fun to grow.
We like to grow cherry tomatoes and also a few yellow tomatoes like Yellow Pear and Honey Delight.
Tomato plants grow best in a spot that receives full sun during the day and they need consistent watering so that they don’t crack or split open. [1]
8. Potatoes
Potatoes are not only delicious and versatile, they’re easy to grow as well.
You can grow your own potato plants from store bought potatoes or buy seed potatoes from a garden center.
Once the potato has a few “eyes” just dig a hole about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) deep and cover the potato with soil.
If you don’t have much space for a potato patch, you can plant them in grow bags instead.
Potatoes are ready to harvest when the foliage turns yellow.
9. Sprouts
Sprouts are probably the easiest and fastest plant for kids to grow.
All you need is a glass jar, a piece of cloth and a rubber band.
Add a spoonful of seeds to the jar, cover the seeds with water and leave overnight.
Drain the seeds the next day and rinse the seeds every day until they’re ready to use.
Try growing alfalfa, broccoli, bean, pea or radish sprouts.
Depending on the variety, you can start eating the sprouts in as little as 3 days.
10. Beans
Bean seeds are large enough for kids to plant easily, and there’s lots of interesting bean varieties to choose from.
Try planting golden wax beans, purple hyacinth beans or stringless green beans for the kids to munch on straight from the garden.
Beans can be grown in a pot, or you can make a fun little project out of building a climbing structure like a trellis or bean teepee. [2]
Vegetable Gardening Tasks for Kids
- Digging and preparing the soil
- Planting the seeds
- Watering
- Pulling out weeds
- Picking the veggies
- Collecting seeds from the vegetable plants once the flowers have finished blooming
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So there are 10 easy vegetable plants for kids to grow in the garden or in containers.
Encouraging your kids to help in the garden gives them an opportunity to learn where their food comes from and they’re more likely to eat the veggies if they’ve grown them themselves.
When choosing vegetable plants for kids to grow, look for seeds that are easy to handle and choose fast growing plants so they won’t have to wait too long to harvest their homegrown veggies.
Try planting a few veggies that the kids already know and a few new plants so they can expand their palate.
Have you tried planting vegetables with your children? Let me know in the comments below.
Are you on Pinterest? I have boards dedicated to Vegetable Gardening and Gardening Tips that you may enjoy. You can also find me on Facebook.
