Our Sand and Water Table Garden

We had a sand and water table on our patio that we were ready to toss. The kids rarely remembered to put the lids on when they were done playing and the eucalyptus trees wreaked havoc with leaves and sap. Our beautiful sand often turned to an ugly mess and so we thought it was time to retire our good friend.

But we were struck with an Aha! moment and decided to go a different route. We filled it with soil and seeds and plants and turned it into a garden for our kids to play in and observe. Originally the garden had tomato plants, strawberries, carrots and radishes, but we didn't have much luck with the carrots. They didn't have enough room to grow. The radishes did well but the kids didn't like the way they tasted. The strawberries didn't stand a chance against the baby opossum that stopped by to nibble them every night. But the tomatoes are going strong and we've since added a few flowers and another old strawberry plant (just in case the opossum gets hungry).

The kids enjoy helping water the plants and tend to the garden and my daughter loves the tomatoes. Do you have a garden planted in something out of the ordinary? Tell us what you're growing and share your pictures with us!

Play in the Dirt for National Garden Month

April is National Garden Month. What a perfect reason to get outside and get your hands dirty with the kids. Gardening and growing healthy food with your children is a great opportunity for enrichment in so many areas. It offers physical activity, helps improve motor skills and problem solving skills, and teaches children how to nurture and care for something. It gives them the opportunity to be proud of something they accomplish, and it introduces them to a selection of healthy foods, which they are more likely to eat because they helped grow it.

Try a themed garden, like a pizza garden, and grow all the veggies you might need to top your favorite pizza. Or a pasta primavera garden - toss all of your garden goodies with fresh pasta and enjoy!

My family recently began a new garden. A few weeks ago, my husband and I took the kids to get some seeds and we chose carrots, peas and cherry tomatoes. We have a patio so we started the seeds in a Pellet Greenhouse Kit. It comes with 20 discs of soil to which you add your seeds. My husband and the kids took great care to mist the seeds to keep them moist, and soon they had 20 sprouts! The kids were so excited every day to see the changes that were taking place with the plants, and looked forward to caring for them.

Today, they transferred their plants to fresh potting soil in planter pots on our patio. The kids got to get a little messy in the soil and helped set up the stakes for the peas to grow on. Then they helped to put the plants in the soil. My 4-year-old son asks questions everyday about why the plants look a certain way or why they are changing. What started out as a small garden turned into an everyday activity that provides an ongoing opportunity to teach that involves everyone in the family.

Fun ideas: 101 Ways to Celebrate National Garden Month

For more great ideas about gardening with kids: Kidsgardening.org

For tons of garden Information: National Gardening Association




Enjoying the tomatoes from the garden a bit early!

Our newly planted peas.