Growing a cut flower garden with kids 

Starting and growing a cut flower garden is a relaxing and beautiful hobby. Involving children in the planning, growing, and harvesting of flowers can be a great learning and bonding experience. No matter your previous gardening experience, this post is designed to help you get started growing your own cut flower garden. I’m sharing some great plants to start off incorporating into your garden or yard, including a list of the easiest flowers to grow for kids and beginners. 

What is a cut flower garden?

A cut flower garden is a garden specifically for flowers or foliage that will be harvested for fresh or dried bouquets and flower arrangements. The flowers are selected based on their bloom time, size, and color. Ideally, they have long stems and bright colors and maintain a long shelf life in a vase. Cut flowers can be annuals or perennials, flowers, filler plants, bushes, and foliage. Purposefully choosing a wide variety of flowers with differing bloom times will allow you to enjoy bouquets throughout the growing season, including spring, summer, and fall. These plants intended for cutting can be planted throughout your outdoor landscaping or in a separate area designated for cutting. 

Benefits of growing a cut flower garden with kids

Growing a cut flower garden with kids can offer numerous benefits and educational opportunities. Here are a few benefits of growing a cut flower garden with your kids:

• Botanical knowledge: Kids can learn about various flowers, their life cycles, and the different parts of plants.
• Science skills: Observing the growth process teaches them about biology, ecology, and the importance of sunlight, water, and soil.
• Responsibility: Caring for the garden instills a sense of responsibility as kids learn to water, weed, and nurture the plants.
• Patience and delayed gratification: Waiting for flowers to bloom teaches patience and the reward of delayed gratification.
• Appreciation for nature: Kids develop a deeper appreciation for the environment and the beauty of nature.
• Environmental stewardship: Caring for plants helps instill a sense of environmental responsibility and stewardship.
• Creativity through floral arranging: Picking and arranging flowers encourages creativity and artistic expression and teaches art principles like color theory, lines, and textures.
• Sensory stimulation: Engaging with flowers provides a sensory-rich experience, from touching the petals to smelling the blooms.
• Tactile learning: Gardening involves hands-on activities that enhance tactile learning.
• Outdoor exercise: Gardening is a physical activity that encourages kids to spend time outdoors and get exercise in a natural setting.
• Sense of accomplishment: Watching their garden bloom gives children a sense of accomplishment and boosts their self-esteem.
• Stress reduction: Being in nature and tending to plants has been shown to reduce stress and promote overall well-being.
• Math and organizational skills: Involving kids in planning the garden layout and spacing of plants enhances their math and organizational skills.
• Culinary exploration: Some flowers are edible, and kids can explore using them in culinary activities, adding another dimension to their learning.
• Teamwork: Gardening can be a collaborative effort, promoting teamwork and social interaction among kids.
• Sharing and generosity: Kids can share the flowers they grow, teaching them about generosity and sharing with others.

Uses for a cut flower garden

Why should you grow a cut flower garden? The possibilities and reasons are endless! 

First and foremost, the main reason most people grow flowers is because they are beautiful. Flowers not only make your garden and landscape more captivating and enticing but harvesting flowers from your garden allows you to create stunning and fresh floral arrangements to decorate your home. Handpicked flowers make thoughtful and personalized gifts for friends and family. Growing your own flowers can be cost-effective compared to purchasing floral bouquets regularly.

Flower gardens attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, contributing to the health of the local ecosystem. Growing your own flowers supports local and sustainable practices, reducing the environmental impact associated with commercially grown and transported flowers.

And, of course, gardening and working with flowers have therapeutic benefits, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. The act of nurturing plants and watching them bloom can positively impact mental well-being. Gardening and cultivating a cut flower garden can be a rewarding and enjoyable hobby, offering a connection to nature and a break from daily routines.

How to set up your cut flower garden

Before choosing your flowers, you’ll need to figure out where to plant them so your garden will flourish. There are a few factors that make for a great cut flower garden location: access to sunlight, protection from the wind, a well-drained area, and healthy soil. 

Where to plant your cut garden

First, decide where you will be planting these flowers and foliage. Will you have a separate bed just for cut flowers, or will you space them out among your current landscaping? A cut flower garden doesn’t have to take up a lot of room. You can easily grow from the small pots on the porch, in a raised bed in the backyard, or on a sunny windowsill! 

Find a location in your yard that receives adequate sunlight. Most flowers prefer full sun, so picking a spot that achieves 6-8 hours of sunlight per day is ideal. This will also satisfy any flowers that require partial sun. Be sure to check the back of the seed packets for sunlight requirements.

Also, consider wind and rain exposure. Lots of flowers grow fairly tall, and a strong wind can easily break them down. See if you can give them some protection from the elements if you live in a blustery or rainy environment.

It’s also important to find a well-drained area that won’t hold rainwater. Flowers don’t like to be kept overly moist, and too much water, especially standing water, will impede your flowers from growing and thriving.

Finally, a cut garden also needs fertile, workable soil (typically topsoil and compost). Obtaining a soil test will help you to determine what nutrients you might be missing in your soil, so you can add those missing nutrients back into the soil. Adding organic matter, including compost, leaf litter, and composted manure, will add nutrients to the soil and assist with proper water retention and drainage.

Creating flower beds

If you will be making new beds for your cut garden, it’s best to have long and narrow beds with room to walk in between. This way, you can reach all of the flowers for cutting. When gardening with children, you will want to make sure the flowers won’t be too high up for them to cut. So keep tall flowers on the ground and shorter flowers and raised beds. 

I have my cut flowers planted on the ground around my raised garden beds. Many cut flowers are also deer-resistant, so last year, I planted them around my vegetable garden for a dual purpose!

Easy, kid-friendly flowers to grow in your cut garden 

There are so many different flowers and foliage that can be grown in a cut flower garden. When choosing flowers, consider a mix of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. This will give you the most variety in your flower arrangements! Depending on what climate zone (find your hardiness zone here) you are in, you will have different plants that are appropriate for your area.  When growing with kids, it’s best to choose flowers that are low-maintenance and have showy, colorful blooms to drool over.

Here are a few of my favorite flowers that can be grown almost anywhere with a little maintenance.

Annuals (needs planning every year)

• Zinnias 
• Cosmos
• Sunflowers 
• Celosia 
• Snapdragons
• Nasturtium
• Sweet peas

Perennial plants and flowers (comes back each year)

• Black-eyed Susan’s 
• Echinacea (cone glower)
• Yarrow
• Aster 
• Daisies
• Hydrangeas
• Dahlias (perennial, depending on where you live)
• Tulips
• Peonies

Greens and fillers to grow in your cut garden 

Fillers and foliage not only give contrast and texture to flower arrangements, but they can also offer beautiful scents! Here are some easy-to-grow greens and fillers!

• Bells of Ireland 
• Green or purple Basil 
• Mint 
• Dill 

Tips for choosing cut flower seeds and bulbs 

Once you have decided where you will be planting, you will need to choose the right seeds or bulbs for that area. If you want your cut garden to produce across seasons, you’ll need to consider this when choosing your flowers. Bulbs will have to be planted in the fall for spring blooms.  Seeds can be planted in the spring for summer and fall blooms.

In order to get the most out of your garden for the longest time, I suggest picking different varieties of spring and summer flowers for each location. An example would be planting tulips or daffodils in the same area as Black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers. Since these flowers grow in different seasons, they will not be competing with each other for nutrients, but they’ll maximize the number of flowers you can get out of one location. 

Another thing to consider when choosing your seeds is germination time. Germination time is the time it takes for the seed to begin to sprout. Seeds that have a long germination time will be more difficult to grow and will need to be started indoors if you live in a cooler climate. Flowers like sunflowers and zinnias usually germinate in a week or so, which makes them ideal for anxious kids who are ready to see their flowers growing. 

Where to find flower seeds, plants, and bulbs

There are lots of places you can get seeds, bulbs, plants, tubers, and transplants. For starters, check with your local nurseries or garden centers. This way you can see the flowers in person and ask any questions to the knowledgeable staff. In addition, starting in early spring, you should be able to find seed packets at your local hardware store, grocery store, farmer’s markets, or even the dollar store! Get the kids involved in this process and let them choose a flower, plant, or seed packet. 

Planting seeds indoors

If you are itching to get the garden started, there are many options for starting your flowers indoors. This is also a fun way to get kids excited about spring and working in the garden. Most seeds will tell you on the back of their packet when to start indoors. Some seed flowers prefer to be sowed directly in the ground, so those will have to wait to be planted until after the danger of frost.

To start seeds inside, you will need:

• Seed starting soil
• Seed starting cells and trays 
• light source (window or grow lights)
• warm area 

Tips for starting seeds inside

To begin, mix some water with your seed-starting soil.  The soil should be damp but not soupy. Fill the cells or pots with the mixture. Read the package for the desired planting depth. Make a small space in the middle of the pot or cell and plant the seed at the correct depth. Make sure you label what you have planted!  

Place your newly planted seeds in a warm place with plenty of natural light or under a grow light. You will want to keep the seed nice and damp while waiting for germination! You can use a fan blowing on your seed tray to mimic wind, which can help the stalks grow stronger. 

For bigger seeds like sunflowers, it can be fun to fold them into a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag and a warm area. This way, you can watch the seeds begin to sprout. After they sprout, plant them at the desired depth in a small pot or cell. 

Once your seeds have sprouted and you’re out of the danger of frost, you can begin to move your sprouts outside. It is a good idea to put your trays of seeds/seedlings outside for a few hours on warm days to help them get acclimated to the wind, bright sun, and outdoor temperatures before planting. A few hours a day is a good start. 

Planting bulbs outdoors

Bulb planting typically happens in the fall before the first frost. Each plant will have a specific planting depth and spacing, so be sure to follow the directions for that plant. Planting bulbs in the fall will help your garden span more seasons, as these plants usually come up in the spring prior to the last frost. This gives you fresh flowers sooner!

Here are some easy bulbs that grow flowers great for cutting: 

• Tulips 
• Daffodil
• Hyacinth 
• Hosta
• Iris
• Crocus

Planting seeds outdoors

Seed planting typically happens in the spring after the danger of the last frost. For perennials, you will only have to plant one time, and then they will come up each year. For annuals, you will have to plant them again each year. Although, there are some annuals that will re-seed themselves.

Before planting your seeds, make sure the ground is raked and loose so the seeds can enter the soil. If you are planting in a small space or between other landscaping, be sure to give your seeds enough room for their full height and width. If you are planting in a large area, spreading the seeds around by hand can be a great task for your child.

Once the seeds have been planted, be sure to keep the ground damp for a few weeks to help the seeds germinate. You may have to watch out for squirrels and chipmunks, who love to feed on sunflower seedlings!

Transplanting seedlings outdoors

Transplanting your seedlings (that you started indoors) outdoors will also happen after the danger of the last frost. It is a good idea to put your seedlings outside for a few hours each day before transplanting outside. That way, they can get acclimated to temperatures and wind.

To transplant your seedlings, gently take the entire root bundle from its cell.  And make your hole a little deeper than the depth of the cell. Put your root bundle in the hole and cover it completely. Again, make sure to keep the soil moist for the first couple of weeks after transplanting.

Caring for your cut flower garden

Between planting your garden and harvesting flowers, you’ll need to care for and maintain your cut flower garden. It will be important to keep the weeds or grass from growing around your growing flowers. Weeding is a great task for kids; just make sure they know what is a weed and what is a flower! Weeding can be done as often as every day or as little as once a week, depending on where your garden is located.

It will also be important to monitor how much rain your garden is getting. If you go more than a few days without rain, it’s a good idea to water them. It is best to water early in the morning or late in the evening. Again, watering the flowers is a great task for kids. Kids love using the garden hose; just be sure to show them how to water the plants properly (not too hard of spray) and not too much.  

You may also want to fertilize your flowers twice a month with a well-balanced fertilizer. 

Some flowers may need support, such as staking, netting, or corralling. For simple purposes at home, I would suggest using bamboo stakes and plant velcro to help support your flowers upright to get straighter stems.

How to make gardening fun for kids

There are so many ways to get the kids involved in the gardening process and make it fun for them. When planning your cut flower garden, be sure to involve kids in the seed-choosing process. Ask them to choose their favorite color flower, or let them pick a seed packet to plant. A specific color flower for each kid would be fun if you have multiple kids.

Get them involved in the maintenance process, too! It’s more fun when you dress the part, right? Getting some kid-size gardening gloves, a fun apron, and maybe a bucket hat can help kids look and feel ready to help! Smaller tools like shovels,  mini rakes, and small watering cans will make it easier for them to assist in all the different ways we care for the garden!

And finally, make sure they get to help harvest the flowers and enjoy the fruit of their labor by helping make flower arrangements and bouquets. Before cutting, talk to your child about what colors or textures they want in the flower arrangement! Let them be the boss for choosing the flowers, and let the adult do the cutting until it’s appropriate for the child to use shears. 

Harvesting flowers with kids 

Now, we’re ready for the good part…harvesting the flowers! 

For many cut flowers, the more you cut, the more they will bloom. This is definitely the case with cosmos and zinnias! So don’t be afraid to get in there and start cutting when blooming begins. Just be sure to leave enough of the plant so that other buds can grow.

However, some plants are a “one-hit wonder” and will only bloom once. Plants, such as single-stemmed sunflowers and tulips, only produce one flower and then are done. The one-hit wonders you will want to plant more of so that you have more blooms, and you may want to consider succession sowing them.

The best time to cut flowers is at the beginning of bloom or right at peak bloom. When going to cut flowers, it’s a good idea to know what size vase you are going to put them in. That way, you know how long of a stem to cut.

Using garden shears,  cut at a 45° angle, this will allow the stem to get, the most water once in the vase. Harvest cut flowers when it is cool outside, either early in the morning or later in the evening. Place your flowers immediately in a bucket/vase of cool water and let them sit at least a few hours before you work with them. You may want to check the flower for her bugs and spiders before bringing it into the home!

How to make your cut flowers last longer

Once you’ve harvested your cut flowers from the garden, it’s time to arrange them. Here are simple steps to help extend the life of your flower bouquet:

• Remove all the leaves off the bottom of the stem (the part that will be submerged in water) to keep them from rotting underwater.
• Cut the stems at an angle to allow for greater water absorption.
• Add some cut flower food into the vase of water.
• Change the water daily or when it becomes murky (don’t just add more water).
• When changing the water, re-cut the ends of the stems at an angle and add more flower food.
• Remove any flowers or leaves that are dead or dying.
• As you remove dead blooms, downsize to a smaller vase when your bouquet gets smaller.

Creating cut flower arrangements with kids 

There are five design elements to keep in mind when it comes to arranging flowers. These elements are line, color, form, space, and texture. Depending on your child’s age, you may pick anywhere from one or all of these elements to focus on when designing your arrangement.

To start, I would focus on color and texture. These flower bouquets, based on color, will be the easiest for children to identify. When choosing colors for your arrangement, think of choosing complementary colors or analogous colors. Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel, like yellow and purple, or red and green. Analogous colors are colors close together on the color wheel (e.g. yellow, peach, and orange). 

When thinking about texture, try to have the child choose flowers with different petals, sizes, and shapes. Flowers with large petals (like zinnia and peonies), tend to be a more softer texture.  Flowers with small, round, or frilly petals, like aster or yarrow, tend to give a contrasting texture.

When putting arrangements together, start small with just one or two different flowers, keeping their leaves for fill and contrast. As you get better at designing, you can snip the leaves off the stem so you only have the flowers and then choose your own filler flowers and foliage that add to your arrangement’s overall theme. To learn more about floral design, I loved the book Love Language Of Flowers.

Something fun I do with my kids after creating an arrangement is naming it. We usually name our arrangement of beautiful blooms based on its colors. A few examples are Sunset, this arrangement was full of bold magenta, yellows, and oranges like a sunset. Another flower bouquet example is one named Just Peachy; this one was full of peachy colors and lacy floral accents! The best thing about flower arranging is that you can do it however you want! 

Sharing the love of flowers

Once your garden is producing a lot of flowers, you may have enough for multiple arrangements or bouquets. Have your child pick a person to gift an arrangement to and let them do all the work of making it and delivering it.  Not only does this teach your child the importance of giving and sharing, but it will likely make somebody else’s day! Your child will have such a sense of pride when they see how happy their gift has made someone else! In addition to giving flowers to people you know, donating flower arrangements to local nursing homes and community centers can help children feel a sense of accomplishment for all their hard work!

Drying and pressing flowers 

Live flower arrangements are not the only way you can enjoy your flowers. Drying and pressing flowers are a great way to enjoy and preserve your flowers. Flowers like daisies and pansies lend themselves to be easily pressed. Plants like strawflower, lavender, and Celosia can make beautiful dried arrangements that can be enjoyed all year long! You can even use pressed flowers to make a fun Halloween costume, like pressed flower butterfly wings.

Saving and collecting seeds 

Once the blooming season is over, there is still work that can be done in the garden. Flowers like zinnia and cosmos are very easy to collect seeds from to save for the next year. Collecting seeds is not only an easy job for kids, but it is a great way to prepare for next year and save money.  We collect seeds in paper sandwich bags and label them with the type of flower they are. We store these bags in a cool, dry place until next year. Seeds collected from your own garden are also a great gift to give to others!

Sustainability and recycling  

It is important to teach sustainable practices for your cut flower garden. Saving seeds is a great start! Using reusable starter trays instead of plastic ones can also cut down on plastic waste. Used spaghetti jars, glass juice containers, and old mason jars can make great vases for arrangements. When you save these items, not only are you repurposing and recycling, but you have more vases to give away without spending money!

Learning while you grow

Creating a cut flower garden with your children is such a great way to teach science, math, and art skills. The time spent with your children in the garden will increase their confidence and give them a sense of responsibility. Plus, the flower arrangements you create will bring daily joy. It may be difficult getting started this first time, but it’s worth it. And every year, you and your children will learn and grow as people and as gardeners. Each year will be more bountiful, joyful, and meaningful. Good luck with starting your own cut flower garden this year! 

Do you grow cut flowers in your garden?

About the author

Meghan is a midwestern mom of 3 kids and one dog. She is a physical therapist assistant and family photographer. At home, Meghan and her family enjoy gardening (both indoors and outside), riding ATVs, and exploring the river behind their house. When not at home, they can usually be found at the lake or exploring Illinois state parks. Meghan’s family has always loved the outdoors, but they really found a passion for being outside and photography when her oldest son had to undergo a bone marrow transplant as a baby. During her son’s recovery, being outside became a safe place for the whole family to learn, grow, and thrive. 

You can find more from Meghan online in the following locations:
Instagram: @meghangarriott
Meghan’s RWMC posts: Meghan Garriott

The post How to Start & Grow a Cut Flower Garden with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

How your public library can help you get outdoors

Public libraries are meant to be hubs for community and education. But, they can be underutilized in many ways beyond checking out interesting books. There are wonderful (and free!) resources curated by attentive librarians that we should be taking advantage of, many of which can actually be a springboard for helping kids and families spend more time outdoors.

Here is a list of 10 ways that libraries can help kids and families spend more time outdoors, each of which I’ll cover in more detail below:

1. outdoor reading and storytimes
2. park passes and library partnerships
3. community exploration programs
4. nature-themed book kits
5. seed libraries and gardening programs
6. story walks
7. gear and equipment loans
8. outdoor classes, workshops, and events
9. books
10. outdoor architecture of the library

1. Outdoor reading programs and storytime

Public libraries can organize outdoor reading programs where children can enjoy books while being outdoors. The library can set up reading tents, chairs, and blankets in a park or a garden and encourage children to read books or listen to stories while being surrounded by nature.

Many libraries plan their story time events to be outdoors when the weather is warm enough.  This is a great way to get a little extra time outside while also participating in other enriching programs. The downtown branch in SLC has amphitheater seating connected to the children’s section for this purpose. Some libraries provide blankets or mats for the children to sit on and brings out books and games for kids to read and play with outside.

2. Outdoor park passes and library partnerships

Some libraries partner with local parks and recreation departments, as well as outdoor educational places, to offer passes (or discounted admission) to nearby parks, zoos, conservation areas, botanical gardens, arboretums, wildlife centers, and nature preserves. This allows families to explore the natural beauty of their community and get immersed in nature.

These partnerships can also include joint programs, such as educational workshops, presentations, or storytimes hosted at these outdoor venues. By partnering with these organizations, libraries can offer unique learning experiences that allow children to engage with and learn about the natural world.

For example, while living in Georgia, I took my child to the Atlanta Zoo for free through our local public library. The Pines Library System has a DVD that you can check out and learn about the history and information on the Atlanta Zoo. When you return the DVD, the librarian prints a receipt that you take directly to the zoo to free admission for four. You can check out the DVD once a year.

The Georgia Public Library Service also provides state park passes to patrons. You can check these out the same way you’d borrow a book. You can also check out a discovery pack along with the pass. These packs have information about the 48 state parks that participate and a pair of binoculars.

Some libraries also offer national park passes that you can check out! 

3. Community exploration programs

Public libraries can offer community exploration programs that encourage families to get out and explore their local area. These programs can take many forms, such as scavenger hunts, self-guided tours, or neighborhood walking groups. These activities can highlight interesting landmarks, historical sites and architecture, public art, or hidden gems in the area.

Community exploration programs not only encourage families to get outside and be physically active but also help them develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of their local area. By discovering new places and learning about the history and ecology of their community, families can feel more connected to their environment and to each other.

In Michigan, the Ann Arbor Public Library System hosts “The Summer Games“. Kids spend the summer earning badges and prizes by solving puzzles or riddles, looking for clues at each library location, and walking around their neighborhoods and the city at large looking for hidden QR codes at volunteer houses or businesses. Our first year participating was during 2020 lockdowns, and the library  organized the games to be almost entirely outdoors while finding codes in windows or yards.

Now we live in Utah and the Salt Lake City Library (SLC) System offers a lottery system for Community Exploration Cards. Each month, a limited number of enrolled people are provided with free passes for four people to city centers like the Tracy Aviary, Red Butte Gardens, the Natural History Museum, and more. I enjoy taking my kids to Tracy Aviary because there are so many interesting and active birds, they do regular shows and classes, and there are fun playgrounds and sand pits. 

4. Nature-themed book kits

Every library I’ve visited has “book kits,” which are curated backpacks or tote bags full of books and supplies on a specific theme. You can find kits on animals, insects,  instruments, food, the weather, languages, botany, geology, outdoor activities (e.g. camping, hiking, etc.), and so much more. They can also include field guides, outdoor activity books, and exploration tools such as magnifying glasses or binoculars. The kits are a great way to encourage kids to learn about the habitats and ecosystems of their local area, and develop a lifelong love of nature and environmental stewardship.

In addition to the books and tools included in the kit, libraries can also provide activity suggestions or challenges that encourage kids to get outside and put their newfound knowledge into practice. For example, we’ve participated in library challenges for kids where they’re expected to identify and photograph different birds or insects they find on a hike or to create a nature journal to document their outdoor adventures.

Our most recent kit had a gardening theme. In the SLC libraries, the kits include five books and a small selection of free-to-keep materials. The gardening kit ‘keep’ portion included a seed packet and a pot, a book, and some stickers. My kids check on their small wildflower pot daily. We read the books outdoors while planning where to plant all our seeds- which were also provided by the library!

5. Seed libraries and gardening programs

Public libraries can use seed libraries and gardening programs to help get kids outside and engaged in nature. Seed libraries allow library patrons to borrow packets of seeds to plant in their own gardens or outdoor spaces. These seed libraries can include a variety of seeds, such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs, and can be used to encourage children and families to start their own gardens at home.

In addition to seed libraries, many public libraries offer gardening programs that provide educational opportunities for children to learn about gardening and environmental stewardship. These programs include information on starting a garden, caring for plants, and harvesting fruits and vegetables. They can also include activities such as creating a compost bin or building a birdhouse to attract local wildlife.

Through seed libraries and gardening programs, public libraries can inspire children to get outside and engage with nature. Children can learn about the natural world, the importance of sustainability, and the benefits of growing their own food. Gardening can also promote physical activity and healthy habits, as well as provide a sense of accomplishment and connection to the environment.

The seeds we will be planting in our home garden this year were all provided for free by our local public library. Many SLC and Salt Lake County branches have displays full of seed packets. You pick out the ones you want from an incredible selection, and a librarian will add them to your account. Once you plant your seeds, you take the leftovers back to be checked out by someone else. We will be spending many hours this spring outdoors planting and tending green beans, tomatoes, strawberries, and wildflowers that we found at our local branch. 

6. Story walks

A story walk is an outdoor literary experience where pages of a children’s book are posted along a walking path or trail. As children walk along the path, they read the story in order and engage in physical activity.

Story walks can be used to promote literacy, physical activity, and outdoor exploration. Often they’re hosted at local parks or nature reserves, allowing children to engage with nature while also enjoying a fun and educational experience. The stories selected for story walks can be just for fun, or themed around nature, ecology, or adventure, and can be curated to fit the interests and reading levels of different age groups.

Public libraries can partner with local parks and community organizations to organize story walks in their area. They can also provide additional resources and activities related to the story, such as craft activities or educational worksheets, to further engage children in the story and encourage them to learn more about the topic.

7. Gear and equipment loans

Depending on where you live, your local public library could offer a variety of outdoor equipment and gear that help and encourage families to get outside and explore the natural world.

The “library of things” movement has gained a lot of traction in libraries across the country. This movement refers to libraries loaning items well outside the traditional realm of books and audiovisual materials. Popular collections now include toys and games, camping equipment, and fishing gear. The gear is FREE to rent and use and can dramatically reduce the often-heavy and burdensome price point of entry for outdoor activities and hobbies.

Here are some examples of gear and equipment you could get from your local public library to help you spend more time outside:

• Outdoor games and sports equipment: Some public libraries offer equipment for outdoor sports and games such as frisbee, soccer, basketball, and tennis. We’ve heard of libraries that loan kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and canoes!
• Camping gear: There are libraries that provide camping equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, and portable stoves to help families plan and enjoy outdoor camping trips.
• Biking gear: Libraries can provide bikes for families to borrow, as well as helmets, locks, and bike repair kits to ensure safety and convenience.
• Fishing equipment: Libraries can offer fishing rods, reels, and tackle boxes to encourage families to try their hand at fishing. 
• Technology gear: Some public libraries also let you check out technological equipment such as microscopes, telescopes, GoPros, and binoculars.  

8. Outdoor classes, workshops, and events

Events such as classes, workshops or presentations where kids learn about nature are great ways that public libraries can help you get outside. If you check your local library website, you will find events listed that cater to different age groups. These can be recurring meeting or special events. Not every class will be geared towards the outdoors, but we can find many that do. Outdoor classes and events hosted by libraries in local parks or natural areas can provide a fun and interactive way for families to explore nature and learn about their community, while also engaging in a creative activity.

Our local library host outdoor crafting workshops where kids can make crafts using materials found in nature, such as leaves, flowers, and twigs, which can spark an interest in exploring the natural world and encourage kids to spend more time outside collecting materials for future crafts. Books, guides, and online resources can give kids ideas for outdoor crafts, such as making birdhouses, nature collages, or planters using recycled materials.

If you are looking for simpler materials that you bring along outside, ask your children’s librarian what they have available. Each week, our local public library will print coloring pages, bookmarks, and other crafting packets that you can pick up for free. These are great to color outdoors: in your backyard, on a picnic, or take on your hike.

9. Books

Of course, there are always books to check out! Any book you and your children find interesting from the library can be packed along and taken with you on your outdoor adventures. Take a book to a park or read on your patio furniture for a relaxing moment outdoors.

You can also check out books that are specifically about nature, wildlife, the environment, and the outdoors. These are great options to learn more about an activity you’re about to do or to enjoy fun stories about spending time outside. 

Check out books about a state park you will soon visit to learn about the best trails and the history. Check out a book with information about insects that you can then find in your own yard. Whether you browse for these books yourself or ask your librarian for recommendations, there are books that cover many interesting topics. Additionally, many library systems can borrow books from other locations if your specific branch doesn’t carry what you’re looking for. 

10. The outdoor architecture of the library

I love visiting every library branch when I move somewhere new. I have even been known to seek out the local branch of places I visit on vacation. This is because each and every building is unique to simply physically visit. As I said in the beginning, libraries are meant to be hubs for the community. Their spaces must then be inviting and useful to the community they serve. I have found libraries in which I would love to spend hours meeting with others from my community.  

Some branches I’ve visited, such as the Glendale and Marmalade branches in SLC and the Oconee branch in Georgia, have courtyards where kids can enjoy their newly checked-out books or eat their snacks in the sun. In some of these courtyards, librarians provide chalk or bubbles that the kids can use while out in the space.

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Tippecanoe branch has a spectacular outdoor space complete with a “Secret Garden” inspired garden and bioswales. This library has also taken steps to combat some of its carbon footprint. They use solar panels and have a permeable parking lot to reduce stormwater runoff. Visiting a library such as this one is a great way to supplement our kids’ education on caring for our planet.

The downtown branch in SLC is an impressive building with a rooftop terrace. There are trees, grass, and multiple seating areas for all patrons. The terrace has 360-degree views of the valley and the Wasatch Mountains. It is always engaging to take kids up to point out different sights on the mountains or areas they might recognize. 

Ways your public library can help families get outside

When you are short on ideas, supplies, or money for new outdoor adventures, your library will help you out. I have lived in five different states, and the public libraries in each have helped me acclimate and learn about cool places in my new home area. Head to your local public library to ask about the unique outdoors benefits they provide- like the ones I mention here. 

How does your local public library help you get outside?

About the author

Emily and her family have moved across the US multiple times, and the best things about each state have been the outdoor adventures and the public libraries! Now living in Utah, Emily has continued her love for both. She explores both mountain and city outdoor spaces weekly with her three kids and friends and attends library story times, as well as leads a local story time. Emily has a passion for children’s literature. She uses books to educate, promote inclusion, understanding, and justice, and inspire adventure and creativity. Emily loves how reading and being outdoors overlap in so many exciting ways!

You can find Emily online in the following locations:
Instagram: @inclusivelibrary
RWMC Posts: Emily Liebel

The post 10 Ways Your Public Library Can Help You Get Outdoors appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Growing herbs with kids

There’s something about spring that seems to give even the brownest of thumbs the urge to put a seed in the earth and watch it slowly flourish. I am one of those brown thumbs, both literally and figuratively, who has attempted repeatedly to plant herbs and vegetables only for them to reach their inevitable untimely death weeks later. But this year is different! We’re determined to start and grow an herb garden!

Kids are intrigued by planting seeds. But, because the process of getting to the finished plant can be a long one, kids’ interest wanes fairly quickly. The difficult part for me, and so many would-be gardeners, has always been that my seedlings could never really get far beyond the sprouting phase. So, this year I decided to try something new. Today, I am going to show you the easiest way, in my opinion, to start a garden with your kids that will immediately garner their excitement. I will also share what I have learned through this process which has allowed our garden to flourish and reap a harvest.

Start with plants

I wholeheartedly believe that our garden’s success is largely due to the fact that we did not start it with seeds this year. As I mentioned earlier, our previous attempts growing an herb garden from seeds never made it past the sprouting phase. Some of you may have had more luck than us with seeds, but if you want to guarantee that your plants will at least get the “plant” stage, skip the seeds. 

This year, instead of purchasing seeds, I visited our local Home Depot to purchase a variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruit plants that were already growing strong. I felt confident because the plants at the store were already eons ahead of any of the seeds that I’ve ever planted! They had roots and strong stems and leaves, oh my! 

My kids were also ecstatic because they were looking at live plants from the beginning and not simply seeds covered by dirt. You can get your kids involved even at this stage by having them choose the plants they want to grow. After all, it is their garden as well. We settled on tomatoes, bell pepper, squash, cucumber, strawberries, sweet onions, sage, mint, rosemary, chives, fennel, thyme, and basil. While transplants are notorious for being more expensive than a packet of seeds, there are a lot of benefits to using them. The benefits of planting transplants are:

• They mature sooner than if you had planted seeds, which means an earlier harvest.
• They save time and are ready to go into the soil immediately.
• The transplanted plants have stronger root systems which make them less vulnerable to weather conditions.

Choose your plants wisely

When choosing which plants to have in your garden, I would highly suggest researching plant compatibility. Basically, you need to make sure that your plants will be friends and not foes to each other. This was something that I almost learned the hard way when I planted 2 mint plants smack dab in the middle of my garden bed. If you’re a newbie gardener, you’re probably thinking, “what’s the big deal?” Well, mint is an aggressive plant that has the power to take over your garden completely. Yikes! Luckily, I was made aware of my mistake and quickly replanted the mint in a pot before its roots had a chance to take hold.

While you might not want mint in your garden bed, there are other plants that are highly compatible and beneficial when planted next to each other. For example, if you are planting tomatoes, you should also plant basil nearby. Basil repels insects that can harm tomato plants and can also improve yield.

Get the kids involved

My kids were happy to see the live plants, but even more so at the fact that it meant we were going to be elbow-deep in dirt! We inherited a semi-raised bed in our backyard from previous owners, but it was in serious need of some TLC. So, armed with shovels and garden forks, my kids, husband, mom, and I got to work making the soil perfect for our new transplants.

The great thing about gardening is that it is an incredible learning opportunity for kids that is also really fun. My kids have been fascinated with the garden every step of the way. They were surprisingly excellent help with prepping the soil and especially enjoyed helping to pull the weeds out of the garden bed.

Choosing the right containers

Keep in mind that your transplants will not necessarily have to be planted in the ground. If you’re tight on space or simply don’t want to plant in the ground, you could also use pots or large stand-alone raised garden beds. The majority of the plants in our garden are in the ground. However, some of our herbs are potted in containers, which we can move around to give them exactly what they need. A little bit of research on each plant to help you determine if it’s well-suited for containers or should be planted directly in the ground.

Prepping your garden and soil

When you’re ready to start planting, there are a few things that you’ll need to have on hand and few things to do to your soil to ensure your plants have the best growing environment. Here are some things that you will need to get started on the right foot:

• Shovel
• Garden fork (if you are planting in the ground, this will help to turn over the soil)
• Garden soil  (not just for potted plants; we added bags of soil to our garden bed for enrichment)
• Hose or watering cans
• Fertilizer (optional)

These items can be purchased at your local nursery or hardware store. I also found a great selection of smaller gardening tools for my kids at DollarTree. The first step was tilling the dirt in the garden to break up all the hard-packed soil. Next, we added 6 large bags of potting soil to the existing dirt, to add additional nutrients and balance the composition of the soil. You can also add compost to your soil.

Gardening is a team sport

Once your soil is prepped, it’s time to figure out where each plant will go in the garden. The plant info should tell you how much space the plant will need, so you know how far apart to space out each plant to give it plenty of room to flourish without overtaking the nearby plants. Finally, you are ready to plant your transplants.

If there’s one thing that I have learned through this entire experience, is that gardening is a team effort. In planting our transplants, I thoroughly enjoyed working together with my 3-year-old and 5-year-old as we dug holes in the earth deep enough for our plants and gently covered the roots with dirt. It was a joy to see their independence and focus as they took ownership of their work. Don’t be afraid to get your kids involved with each step in this process. The great thing about transplants, is that they are strong. Even if they don’t seem to be “perfectly” planted, the roots will take hold.

H2O and let it grow

After the transplants have been planted, the hard work is nearly over. Now you just have to maintain, feed, water, weed, and be patient. Be sure to research how much water your plants will need to ensure they not only stay alive but thrive. We have been watering our garden with tap water from the hose in the backyard, which has worked out fine. You could also gather and store rainwater for your garden, but that’s a whole other process and post.

I have learned that it is best to water your garden in the evening when temperatures are a bit cooler, rather than in the middle of the day. Watering our garden is an activity that can be handed off almost completely to your children (if they enjoy it). My kids love getting the hose and watering cans out and taking care of the garden each evening. We also take some time to discuss the changes that can be seen happening right before our eyes! It’s so much fun to see them notice the plants getting bigger each day and being observant of how their efforts are paying off. 

Herb garden maintenance  

Watering will likely not be all that you need to do to keep your garden healthy. Most edible plants will need to be pruned or trimmed. This is done to increase growth and yield, and it is necessary for the overall wellness of the plant. Depending on the transplants that you have, you will need to research how to prune your plant properly. You may also need/choose to fertilize your plants. Adding some plant food to your soil will help the plants get the nutrients they need to grow bigger and heartier. 

Harvesting your garden

Since we did not plant our herb garden from seed, we were able to reap a harvest much sooner than we would have otherwise. In just over three months, we’ve already harvested herbs, tomatoes, and a lone strawberry. Our squash should be ready any day now, and we cannot wait.

Each time we are able to harvest, no matter how small, it brightens our day. It is awesome for kids because they are able to see the finished product of their work and patience. They are able to see food that they would normally only get at the grocery store growing right in front of them. It gives them a feeling of pride and accomplishment.

Gardening with kids resources

Starting and growing an herb garden with your kids is an amazing opportunity for learning and connection. If you have been apprehensive about starting a garden (especially with children), I hope that you have learned a few things from this post and that I have encouraged you to go for it. If you’d like more info on gardening with kids, here are a few of our favorite gardening posts:

• How to make gardening fun for kids
• 5 easy vegetables to grow with kids
• Tips for fall gardening with kids
• Winter garden planning
• Kid-friendly snacks from the garden
• How to plant a butterfly garden

Are you planting an herb garden with your kids this year?

About the author

Lauren is a California native turned Texan, who loves to get out in nature and discover hidden gems all around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She is a wife and homeschooling mama to three kids who definitely keep her on her toes. She truly believes in the value of homeschooling and that there are learning opportunities available all around us. In addition to homeschooling, Lauren is also an entrepreneur; she’s the co-owner of Crunchy Boutique (a natural-living/eco-friendly boutique). 

You can find more from Lauren in the following places:
Instagram: @crunchymamadfw
Facebook: @crunchymamadfw
RWMC Posts: Lauren Cain

The post Starting an Outdoor Herb Garden with Your Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Gardening in all shapes and sizes

One of my favorite things about gardening is that it can usually be done anywhere, with whatever you have available. There are so many different ways to have a garden! You might have an in-ground garden in the backyard, raised beds in a community garden, pots/containers sitting on a windowsill, or maybe you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse. All of these are great choices and there’s no one right way to garden. Don’t feel that you need to have acres and acres of land to be a gardener. Even containers on your patio can produce more than you might think during the fall season. 

How to prep your soil for a fall garden

The first thing you need to do to get ready for planting a fall garden is to get your soil ready. You’ll want to start with good soil so that your plants have what they need to grow strong. For a raised bed or in-ground garden, you’ll want to amend your soil. To amend soil means to improve it with additional materials. Soil amendments improve the physical nature of your soil. They reduce compaction, aerating the soil to allow water and nutrients to more easily move through it and reach plant roots. Some soil amendments also add nutrients to the soil, help retain moisture and help maintain the correct pH balance. Examples of soil amendments are potting soil, compost, peat moss, etc. 

In San Diego, the city dump sells a truck bed full of compost for $12 and it’s AMAZING! I mix the compost into my existing garden soil and have had great success with it. If you are planting in pots or other containers, don’t scrimp on the potting soil. You get what you pay for in this situation. Go to your local nursery and ask them what brand of potting soil they recommend for vegetables. In my experience, employees at local nurseries are quite knowledgeable or can at least direct you to someone who has answers. That hasn’t been the case for me at bigger chain stores. If you end up there, look for a potting soil specifically made for container vegetable gardening. 

Planting your fall garden

Now you’re sitting there looking at your beautiful, possibly smelly soil, and wondering what to plant. My number one recommendation is radishes. Radishes are so much fun to grow with kids! They sprout in 3 – 6 days. This is perfect for little ones who lose interest in things very easily. Every day after it sprouts you will notice a little bit of growth in the radish. Some varieties of radishes are even ready to harvest in just 21 days!

Here are a couple of the varieties I planted with my kids this fall. Don’t they look like something fun to eat?

Cool-season vegetables for fall gardening

Here’s a list of fall/cool-season vegetables that do well in a fall garden:

• lettuces
• beets
• kale
• broccoli
• carrots
• spinach
• peas
• turnips
• parsnips
• onions
• mustard greens
• endive
• arugula
• bok choy
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• Brussel sprouts
• rhubarb
• celery
• radishes

Peas are definitely favorites with my kids. We planted three different varieties of peas in our fall garden this year. One variety has an edible pod, one snow pea variety, and one with purple pods.

Get to know your growing zone

I live in San Diego, California, USA. We have a very mild climate. When it hits 65 degrees Fahrenheit I’m probably going to bring out my down jacket. You might live somewhere where even 50 degrees means shorts and a t-shirt. You and I won’t have the same success growing the same plants.

The climate you live in will determine what plants you will be most successful at growing right now. This is something known as a growing zone, planting zone, or hardiness zone. If you live in the United States you can find the zone you live in by your zip code. If you live outside the US, you can find your zone as well. Once you know your zone you can get a list of specified plants that will thrive in your climate. Choosing plants that grow well in your planting zone will set you up for gardening success. 

How to pick seeds for your fall garden

I love picking out my seeds for my garden. I order my seeds from a company called Baker Creek Seeds. This company has a large selection of heirloom seeds. The term “heirloom” is usually applied to fruit, flower, or vegetable varieties that were being grown before World War II. Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated, meaning that, unlike hybrids, seeds you collect from one year will produce plants with most of the characteristics of the parent plant. And that’s key to their survival. Many heirloom varieties were preserved by home gardeners who saved seeds from their family gardens from year to year. 

It’s also fun to plant new varieties of common veggies because they look and taste a little different. My kids get so excited when they pull a purple carrot out of the ground! The photos above show the seeds that we planted this fall. Pumpkins aren’t really considered a cool-weather crop, but all of my previous attempts with pumpkins this year were sabotaged by pests. I threw a few pumpkin seeds in the ground hoping I might have something to show by Thanksgiving!

Sometimes gardening is just trial and error friends. You never know what will happen (grow or fail) year over year. A fall garden doesn’t need to be perfect. Never take it too seriously! Let your kids get involved in the process of picking out seeds to plant. They’ll be more excited about growing fruits and veggies if they were part of the process. 

Getting started now with your fall garden

Are you feeling inspired to get your fall garden started, yet? Great! Don’t worry about having everything ready right away. To get started, you just need a few small paper cups, soil, and seeds! 

You can get your seeds started growing long before your garden space or beds are ready for the plants. Last fall, I didn’t have my raised beds ready to plant just yet but I really wanted to get my seeds going. I poked a hole in some Dixie cups and started germinating some sugar snap peas.

Putting the cups in a plastic or cardboard container will help keep the soil in the cups moist. I wouldn’t recommend doing this with any root vegetables, but lettuces or peas grow well when started in smaller containers. You can even put them indoors for a couple of weeks if you have to.

The garden classroom

One of my favorite shirts is from Nature Supply Co and it says, “Not all classrooms have four walls.” Gardens are proof of that and can serve as amazing classrooms! Your kids will learn not only the life cycle of plants and the cyclical nature of the seasons, but also important life skills. Kids need patience when waiting for seeds to sprout or for a vegetable to mature. They learn vigilance by going to the garden daily and checking for pests. Their self-control increases by not watering the soaking wet soil even though watering is so much fun.

They will get outside, see the sun coming up in the east and setting in the west as they work in the garden this fall. They will pay attention to shadows and sunshine and rainy days, but only if you give them the opportunity. A garden is a beautiful way to reconnect together over a common project. 

Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.” Confucius

Involve your kids

You’ve probably heard the quote by Confucius above. That holds true in the fall garden. You could make your soil rich and beautiful on your own, choose and purchase all the seeds, set up timed irrigation, and just let your kids help plant the seeds. This would still be a good experience, but imagine how much more meaningful that garden would be if you involved your children in all aspects of the planning. Planning! There’s a life skill I forgot to mention.

Let them find the volume of the raised bed. Ask them to calculate how many bags of garden soil and compost you will need to fill those beds. Let them get their hands dirty mixing the soil. Browse the seed catalog together and let them choose what they want to plant. Read the back of the seed packet with them and figure out together if you have enough space to plant an entire packet of radish seeds. Buy a special gardening notebook and keep track of the days you planted. Then research together when you can expect your harvest. Gosh, the possibilities here are endless! 

Even the smallest kids can get involved in gardening

Think your kids are too young to garden? There are chores for all ages when it comes to fall gardening! My youngest isn’t super young anymore, but he does love to bring his spray bottle out to the garden and water for me. Even a toddler can manage a small spray bottle. Just plan on changing clothes afterward, if you need to! If your kids are anything like mine, they won’t stay dry for long. And if you have cats, they’ll find somewhere to hide pretty quickly.

Additional benefits of gardening for kids

I could go on and on about the benefits of gardening with your kids. We didn’t even talk about the whole nutrition aspect, learning about where food comes from, or the positive impact playing in the dirt has on a child. Cornell University has a wealth of information detailing what researchers have found in relation to kids and gardening. Statistics are great and all, but on a personal level I have found that being in the garden provides me with a great way to spend quality time with my kids. We do taste tests, find bugs, get dirty, and have a lot of fun.

There’s no time like the present to start something new, so get growing!
What will you plant in your garden this fall?

About the author

Wendy is a married momma living in central San Diego, CA, raising 4 human kids, 2 goat kids, 4 chickens, and one grumpy cat. She enjoys gardening, hiking, camping, backpacking, going to the beach, and generally getting out-of-doors. Wendy is a family photographer and also works at several local elementary schools as a garden educator. She dreams of traveling to all 50 states and beyond, and believes that there is great beauty to be found in all parts of the earth, we just have to open our eyes to see it.

You can find more from Wendy online in the following locations:
Instagram: @wendycoxphotography
RWMC posts: Wendy Cox

The post Tips for Fall Gardening with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

This post contains affiliate links. 

Gardening as a family

Gardening is one of our family’s favorite outdoor hobbies. I didn’t grow up gardening, though. In fact, I had to learn how to garden (TWICE) as an adult. Once in zone 5 and again when we moved to zone 8. Gardening is a hobby that continually teaches us to pay attention to the small things, but also brings us such joy throughout the year. While most of the actual gardening happens in spring and summer, winter is when a great garden begins! And here is how I bring my children into the garden planning process! 

How to get started gardening in your zone

The question I get asked most often is: “Where do I start?” My answer is always the same…before you buy seeds or shop your local garden center, you need to learn what “zone” you’re in. Your garden zone determines what you plant and when. It’s a critical piece of information to begin your planning process.

One of the best resources for this is your local master gardeners* chapter. I’ve always found that the master gardeners are so helpful and eager to share their knowledge with new gardeners. You can find your local chapter by an internet search or by contacting your county’s agriculture extension office. Prior to the pandemic, I used to attend a monthly talk given by my local master gardeners. Those talks have now moved online and many of them are free to attend via Zoom! I filled an entire notebook with notes I took at those meetings. 

* “Master gardeners” are people who have received extensive training in gardening in their area (usually through a university program) and then provide information to the public via phone or email helplines, speaking at public events, writing articles for publications and the internet, and partnering with other community programs, gardens, and educational facilities.

Laying out the plans

The next step in planning your garden is to layout your plan and figure out what you want to plant and where. This process changes every year (sometimes multiples times in a year). Here’s how our garden layout planning has gone: We made garden plans. And we changed them. Then we put in raised beds. And we changed the plans again. Then we added a keyhole garden. And changed plans yet again. This last year we added an arch tunnel and two more raised bed gardens. We changed our plans again.

The good news is that you can make plans and add to them as often or as little as you want. One really beautiful thing about gardening is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. There are ways that work better/best, but sometimes those take trial and error to figure out. Yes, you can dive deep into getting soil mixtures right and testing to be sure they’re the right balance and pH. Or, you can just learn along the way, celebrating the wins and learning from your losses.

The garden planning process

We take the learn as we go route. My first step in the garden planning process is to draw out the layout of my garden. I make a smaller copy for myself and a larger version for my children. For older children, you could use grid paper and have them make the aerial view to scale. With younger children, draw in the shapes of your garden. Or just give them a big piece of cardboard left over from the holidays and let them have at it.

It’s also fun to let them imagine what their own garden plot would look like, whether it’s an actual garden space or just a pot of their very own. We get out our art supplies and draw what our garden space looks like from above. There are no rules for this, it’s meant to be fun. So set aside lessons and expectations, and have some fun. 

Put your pens and markers to paper

After you have the outline of your garden space complete, it’s time to start filling it in. Older children can label and work on spatial awareness as they designate a place for each plant. It’s also a great way to work on handwriting. Younger children can color or draw what they want in their garden space. I like to go back to the garden map I made the previous year, to see what I had growing where, what was a perennial or annual, and what I want to change.

As you learn to garden, one thing I highly recommend is to be a casual journaler. I’m not talking about obsessive growing notes, but if that’s you, go for it. More like just making notes throughout your year about what is growing well, what isn’t, what pests you’re dealing with, and things you’d like to change. Then you can refer to those notes as you plan for the next year. Mental notes are great (if you can remember them), but I prefer paper. A simple journal works great, but you can also find all kinds of garden journals or diaries for more detailed notetaking. 

Making garden planning fun for kids

One of the best ways to make the garden planning fun and visual for children is to let them cut up pictures to paste onto the map you made. Remember middle school (ish?) when we cut up photos from magazines and newspapers? Then we glued them onto our trapper keepers to make them super cool? Yeah, we’re doing that again! But this time it’s with seed catalogs.

WITH WHAT?! Yes, with seed catalogs. By the time I’m ready to plan with my kids, I’ve already poured over the countless number of seed catalogs I received (several times). I order all of my seeds online so I don’t need the magazines anymore, but they are so pretty and filled with vivid photos of plants. It’s so fun to make the garden plans highly visual with the pretty pictures.

I give my kids the seed catalogs, scissors, and glue and let them have at it. Fix yourself a coffee or tea, turn on some classical music, and browse your own garden journal. You can even organize your seeds while they have fun. It’s a great way to visually see your garden, all the colors and shapes, the various plants, flowers and vegetables.  Plus, it gets the kids excited about the process and they become knowledgeable about the plants in your garden.

To really make garden planning special for kids, designate a garden space just for your children. Make a little garden sign for their space, let them choose a seed packet, and let them be in charge from start to finish. 

This case is for organizing photos but it works GREAT for seeds. Find it HERE. 

When and where do you order seeds?

Yesterday. No really, order them right now. ASAP. Due to current world circumstances, seed shops and garden centers are seeing unprecedented amounts of orders. Baker Creek seeds has shut its website down several times to get caught up on orders. Seed Savers has a disclaimer up about the delayed shipping times. Seed companies all over are struggling to keep up with the demand. However, you can get seeds locally at big box garden centers and local garden centers.

If you’re hoping to save your seeds, I would recommend buying non-GMO, organic, or heirloom seeds to begin, to be sure of saving high-quality plants. Another great way to gather seeds is to participate in a seed swap with gardening friends. A page that I adore, Jill Ragan of Whispering Willow Farm does a huge seed swap every year and it’s really neat. Also, a huge shout out to Jill for her genius seed organizing idea. She’s an inspiring gardener and I highly recommend following her. 

What you’ll need for garden planning with kids

To make the garden planning FUN for you and your children, here is what I recommend:

• Markers, crayons, pencils, paint, any and all art supplies
• Scissors and glue (glue sticks work best)
• Gardening magazines and seed catalogs
• A large piece of paper, or piece of a cardboard
• Graph paper for older children
• Finger paints and finger paint paper for younger children
• A large workspace – clear the kitchen table or do it on a hard surface floor
• A no-rules attitude, let the creativity flow (that includes you too)
• Some background jams (I prefer classical music)
• Snacks
• Coffee or tea for mental stimulation, plus it just tastes good

Remember, this is meant to be a fun activity to involve your children in the planning process, so let it be fun! If they mess up and put sunflowers in the middle of the tomatoes, it doesn’t matter. It’s an opportunity to learn, for everyone. 

What about older children?

Garden planning is a great opportunity for older children to do some critical thinking. Here are some ways to involve older children that will help them with some STEM skills and concepts:

• Have them generate a graph to show seed starting dates and when to plant in the ground
• Research companion planting
• Create a planting schedule
• Make a budget for seed spending
• Practice taking soil pH samples
• Create wet mount slides to look at the soil under a microscope (Nematodes, yay!)
• Make a business plan for selling transplants (small plants grown from seed)

There are so many ways to make this project fun for the whole family. I highly suggest getting everyone involved. The world has felt so heavy in the last year and having a family hobby that gets everyone involved, excited, and eventually outside is a very, very good thing. 

A few favorite gardening resources

I’m an entirely self-taught gardener. Everything I know came from reading, listening to talks and speeches, obsessive internet searching, trial and error, and asking lots of questions. I encourage you to find books, magazines, podcasts, people, mentors, and even gardening accounts on social media. These resources are so important and helpful as you learn what works for you and your family.

Here are a few of my favorite gardening books:

• Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy – Her original book is nearly impossible to find now, however she has many other books available on Amazon. 
• The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward C. Smith
• Raised Bed Gardening for Beginners by Tammy Wylie
• Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte
• Junior Master Gardeners Handbook
• Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
• Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Wallace
• We are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines

Spiders make a regular appearance in our garden. 

Want even more gardening goodness?

If you’d like to hear more about our gardening shenanigans and follow along on our growing journey, you’re in luck! You can read about the luffa vines that took over our garden and how my kids made a little business out of it HERE. Do you love sunflowers? Me too! You can read about our end of the season sunflower dissection HERE. I also made garden Reels videos my “thing” last summer on Instagram. Here’s a fun one, and another fun one.  Follow along as our garden grows on #coleyraegardens. I’m here to help answer any questions I can or point you in the right direction. And please tag me (@coleyraeh) on social media if you make garden plans. I’d love to see them! 

Are you excited about planning your garden this year?
Will you make some plans ahead of time or make it up as you go? 

About the author

Nichole is mama to two incredible adventurers, an older boy and a younger girl. They are in their seventh year of homeschooling. She’s married to her best friend and they share a mutual love for the outdoors. An Iowan native now living in the south, she is happy to claim Arkansas as home. She is a wanderlust (and coffee) fueled, fearless, road tripper who has been known to take off for epic adventures at a moment’s notice. Hiking and camping (of the backpacking variety) and crystal digging are a few of their favorite family activities. You can find her in the woods somewhere, probably up a creek, and jumping off waterfalls.

You can find more from Nichole online in the following locations:
Website: www.luckeywanderers.com
Instagram: @coleyraeh
RWMC posts: Nichole

The post Winter Garden Planning with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Grow something, grow anything!

Let’s start with the easiest thing to do in teaching kids where their food comes from…grow something. Anything! It doesn’t have to be difficult or an entire garden worth of plants. Just start with planting a seed or two in a pot in your house or in the backyard. If you live a nomadic life on the road you can still participate. Let those plants sit in the window as you trundle down the road.

You’ll only need a few things to get started with growing food. Grab some organic potting soil or compost from your local hardware store or nursery, a couple of pots to grow your plants in, and the seeds of your choice. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming to be considered growing something. You don’t have to be a farmer or a gardener or even have a “green thumb”. Just give it a try.

Get the kids involved in growing

Let your kids have fun getting a little messy filling their pots up with potting soil or digging in the soil in the backyard. Growing something doesn’t have to be dirty per se, but when you mix kids with dirt, a little mess is bound to happen. I find it easiest to just embrace it and not fight it. Let them have fun and they’ll be more likely to participate and enjoy the activity. 

Once your kids have their pots loosely filled with soil or the soil loosened in your garden beds it’s time to plant the seeds they’ve chosen. Each seed is a little different about how it responds best regarding germination. Some seeds like to be left on the surface of the soil. Some seeds like to be pushed into the soil a little ways. Others like to have small mounds piled over them.

Your seed packet should provide ideal planting conditions printed on it, including helpful information on the depth to plant the seed in the soil, watering intervals, hours of sunlight it desires, etc. Reference those for the best chances to succeed at germination and growth. However, we’ve also let our kids plant things any way they wanted at times and plenty of the seeds still sprung forth. Where there’s a will there’s a way.

Let it grow, let it grow!

After their seeds are planted it’s just down to watering and time (i.e. patience). If you’re growing indoors, find a window or ledge for the plants where they will have about the right amount of sunshine. Keep them up high to protect them from younger siblings looking to do their own dirt exploration activity (speaking from personal experience here). Then, you’ll just need to keep your soil adequately watered (but not over-watered) while waiting for their little seed to sprout.

We’ve had everything from overenthusiastic waterers to potentially some watering neglect. You name it, we’ve covered the watering spectrum. Once again, the plant wants to grow, it wants to sprout. Don’t stress about having everything perfect for it. There’s an area of grace around its ideal growing conditions, it’s not something you need to meet 100% to succeed.

Of course, your kids will be confident their seeds are never going to sprout about an hour after they’ve planted them. Because surely, they should be up by now. It’s been forever! Patience, grasshopper. In a few days, you should start to see little sprouts coming forth out of the soil.

Each plant is different, so some will sprout quicker than others. Let the kids check them first thing every morning. They’ll likely give them a little poking and prodding. It’s alright, it’s part of their curiosity in learning about the growing process. I like to let it happen. Worst case scenario, the seed doesn’t sprout and they’ve learned what they can’t do and will just need to plant new seeds. No biggie.

Be curious and observant

As their plants grow they’ll notice leaves springing forth. Some plants will have different stems growing out of the main one. Some will be a main stalk, some will flower, some will spread over the ground. Every plant is different and has unique qualities. My kids ask me loads of questions about observations they make about plants and animals that I’ve never noticed nor thought about. I regularly have to look up their questions to find answers. It’s a part of the growing process (the plants’ and the kids’) I never anticipated but have come to love.

Over time, with regular care, the plant will start to produce whatever fruit or vegetable it’s supposed to produce. More questions come along with this process. And more patience is required as they wait for it to grow to maturity. Eventually, the time comes for the harvest when they can pick and eat the fruits of their labor. In my opinion, this is the best part. 

There is no more satisfying feeling than seeing my kids eyes light up as they bite into a tomato they’ve watched grow from a tiny seed, or plucking raspberries off the plant for a snack as they run by. From having experienced the entire growing process, kids have a deeper understanding of where their food comes from and how much work and love goes into growing each plant.

Follow a farmer and get a tour

So, what if you’re wanting to dig deeper into growing fruits and vegetables than you can in your backyard? What if you want more of a field trip than the hands-on growing experience? Kids love this. There are likely plenty of small farmers in your area that would love to give you a tour of their farm. If you live deep within the heart of a city, you might have to venture an hour or more away. But, most people should be able to find a farm within 30 minutes. It all depends on your area, but you might be surprised how many small farms there are around you.

You say, “That’s great, Jake, but how do I find these farmers?” To which I say, “Google it.” If the search results in your area don’t turn up a whole lot (which isn’t uncommon) you might have to get a little creative. Plenty of farmers exist on social media. Once you find one farm locally, you’ll likely find quite a few connected with them. From there you can follow them, learn from them, and get to know them even from the comfort of your home.

We have plenty of farmers we follow and know their farming ups and downs. We consider them friends and we learn from them regularly even though we’ve likely never met in person. Follow local farms on social media and get to know them. Maybe once you feel comfortable, reach out to them, express interest in visiting their farm. They’ll likely be more than happy to show you around. If you’re still struggling to find any farmers in your area, message me on Instagram @blackridgefarms and I’ll be happy to help you out. 

Visit a farmer’s market

Another way to find farmers in your area to talk to is by visiting your local farmer’s market. If there are farmers at the market, it’s likely they’re from a farm nearby. If you’re comfortable with it, strike up a conversation, and chat with them. Ask your questions and get to know more about what they grow.

If you’d rather contact them after you’ve procured their farm name and location on their booth, reach out to them via email or social media. Mention you saw them at the market and would love to visit their farm. I’ve yet to turn someone down from a request like this.

Farmers are doing what they do for a love of the land, the plants, and the animals. We love to share that with anyone interested. Especially kids.

Map out where food comes from

A lot of our homeschooling involves following our kids’ natural curiosity. We take the opportunity to teach by exploring the questions that pop up from our kids when they come across things they’re unfamiliar with or haven’t learned about yet. Whenever we come across an interesting new food, the first thing we do is look it up and figure out where it’s from. We end up exploring the area of the world the new food grows. We learn about what the weather conditions are like there, soil conditions, farming practices, etc.

Over time, as we end up looking up more foods and animals, our kids start to make connections. They consider what the climate might be like in an area of the world they’ve never been to. They start to connect the dots of “oh hey, this chicken breed is from the same country as that type of cheese we made and that variety of grapes we have growing in the garden.”

In this regard, the experience and learning is less about the growing of the food or the farm where it was grown and more of a geography lesson about where certain foods grow well and where they originate from. In our northern climate with cold, snowy winters, this is how our kids now understand that it’s not feasible for us to grow bananas or kiwis outdoors. And they also appreciate how far those foods have to come to get to us. 

Connecting with your food

Connecting with your food can be as much or as little as you want it to be. For us, our lives revolve around the growing, care for, and enjoying of food. For you, it may be just a slight curiosity to know more about how your food is raised and where your food comes from. Or maybe you’re curious about what life may have been like for your grandparents that were farmers. There is no right or wrong answer. But hopefully, this post inspired you to get curious about where your food comes from and make it a priority to teach kids a little more about the growing and farming process.

What steps are you going to take in teaching your kids
about where their food comes from?

About the author

Jake and his wife Jessica are raising four adorable children on Black Ridge Farms in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. Jake enjoys any time spent on the farm taking care of their various animals and seeing how quickly the kids learn to care for and love their animals. He bounces back and forth between the farm and his 9-5 while Jessica shoulders the bulk of responsibility of homeschooling the kids, keeping the house in order, and keeping a watchful eye on the farm in Jake’s absence. While he has one foot dipped in the 1800s, the other foot has danced around the marketing and tech fields. Jake has worked as a Graphic Designer, Digital Designer, and most recently a User Experience Designer. Beyond those pre-packaged titles, Jake is a creative dreamer with an entrepreneurial streak that believes in the power of one’s mindset, time spent with loved ones, and real, healthy food.

You can find more from Jake online in the following locations:
Instagram: @blackridgefarms
Website: Black Ridge Farms
RWMC posts: Jake Smith

The post Teaching Kids About Where Food Comes From appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Adjusting to a new normal

This year has been so unique and challenging in ways we ever anticipated. Every day is the same and also completely different and unique. Yet, I am aware of one consistent thread woven throughout 2020…the anticipation of change. Change comes in the form of news updates, illness, and job revision. It can be a family reorganization, new budget constraints, modified educational delivery, and more. For someone like me, change can be unpredictable and unsettling.

I am every bit a Type-A planner who schedules time for “exploration and adventure”. While I appreciate spontaneity and last-minute adventures, that’s not usually the way we head out the door.  However, thanks to some awesome nature research, the last decade has helped me regain my life balance. Translated, this means I can now hike without planning too far ahead.

I am also an Emergency Medicine Provider on the frontlines. While I am accustomed to the usual stress of my job, nothing could have prepared me for this year and the changes and challenges 2020’s brought with it. In fact, these last 6 months have been a blur. While the world has shut down in many ways, health care has not and we are busier than ever.

Some days I work a “normal” shift. Other days I work in a parking lot. By noon, temps on the asphalt are nearly 140°F and the gauges inside our PPE suits read 20° higher. Today, I lose 10 pounds of sweat and am thankful for a short, 8-hour shift.

I survive the initial pandemic waves on pure adrenalin, coffee, and dark chocolate. But it isn’t long before sleep deprivation and exhaustion set in…and that is when my emotional state deteriorates. My organized, well-planned life is unraveling.

The healing power of nature

Disappointment, sadness, anxiety, anger and stress begin to predominate my mental state. And then I feel nothing at all.

After weeks, why can’t I remember how to rescue myself and reach for a sense of calm?

I don’t know, but I can say this: nature’s infinite beauty calls me. The power in her waterfalls, the melody of her twilight crickets, and the hum of her honeybees. Nature’s unparalleled ability to persevere is astounding.

So I do what speaks to my soul: I reach out to the natural world and find myself embraced by her seasonal rhythms. I reconnect with nature to heal and soothe.

The moon continues to scroll through phases, wildflowers bloom on cue, fruit hangs low on the vine, and rivers flow. It is how it always has been…recurring, stunningly beautiful, and healing.

Ways to reconnect with nature and heal as a family

Now, reconnected to something greater than myself, I feel my perception of the world begin to shift. I begin to experience positive emotions in abundance: calm, peace, focus, happiness, optimism, motivation and inspiration. This is what it feels like to come alive!

Time outside is sooo good for our brain. Not surprisingly, it also improves our physical health. A staggering amount of research supports the following:

• Time spent surrounded by nature improves vitamin D levels and reduces obesity.
• It lowers cholesterol and decreases our lifelong risk of heart disease.
• Nature calms ADHD and anxiety; it alleviates depression and makes us more creative.

As a mom, we know internal journeys are rarely afforded personal space in which to grow. So, let me tell you about some of the family-friendly nature adventures that helped pull me…and all of us…back to center. Here are a few ways you can reconnect with nature as a family and help heal your spirit, minds, and bodies. 

Daily interaction with green spaces

I love the Scandinavian phrase “there is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing”. It’s an expression I quote as my kids complain of being sent outside in the rain or heat. The same phrase we say before hiking…we walk through the woods in all kinds of weather; except of course during lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes. (10 out of 10 do NOT recommend.) 

In her book, The Nature Fix, Florence Williams promotes a concept called the nature pyramid as a recommended guide for ensuring adequate doses of nature to all humankind. It is comprised of gradually increasing time in nature…and it works along a dose curve. Meaning, the more time we spend in nature the more beneficial returns we are afforded. 

Williams says daily interaction with green spaces in the form of a park bench or water fountain “help us destress, find focus and lighten our mental fatigue.” This has been our daily routine for the last 7 years: breakfast followed by outside free play. It is during this time when my kids make mud pies, dig trenches and collect acorns. This is so beneficial but according to the nature dose curve, we can do better.

The next level of the pyramid is similar to the Finnish model of weekly, hour-long outings in quieter spaces. This is when we visit a regional park with a natural water source. We pack lunch, sit by the river and enjoy time away from responsibility. By frequenting the same natural space we are able to observe seasonal rhythms in the plants and animals where we play.

Moving further up the nature pyramid we find monthly excursions to natural areas, time here is measured in hours. Scientists who study interactions between our immune system and forest immersions like this are completely inundated by positive research. The results are astounding and cannot be replicated by streaming a babbling brook on your big screen TV.

Hike near water

At the very top of Williams’ research-based nature pyramid are the rare but essential multi-day bursts of wildness we need once a year. Intense bursts of immersion in nature, near a natural water source, will “rearrange our very core, catalyze our hopes and dreams, fill us with awe and offer reassurance of our place in the universe.”

This is our brain on nature and it’s breathtakingly amazing.

As scientists quantify nature’s effects on our mood, well-being, and ability to think we are reminded of the numerous aspects of life a hefty dose of nature can help. These include memory, planning, ability to create, daydream, and focus.

It is no surprise that my self-prescribed intense nature therapy is transformational to my outlook on life. I have been pulled to a happier, healthier, more content mental space after spending time outdoors. 

Of all the places my family wanders, acorn collecting and backyard mud pits are the most common. However, hikes near water remain our favorite! Hiking is so incredibly beneficial to your physical and mental well-being. It’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in your environment and reconnect with nature. Add some water, whether it’s a babbling brook, a little pond, a beautiful lake or a river and it elevates the experience for you and the kids.

Slippery rocks and uneven surfaces provide massive stimuli to a growing brain while the sound of running water soothes us all. Throwing rocks is a blast for the kids and can provide endless fun. Plants and animals that live in and near the water add to the excitement and provide opportunities to learn. 

Connect outside with food

Some of my most compelling childhood memories exist at the intersection of food and emotion. These moments of consciousness are packed with incredible detail. Each given $1 a week, my brother and I bought chocolate coins and bubblegum cigars; very rarely, we saved the money. Sometimes we were able to snag our favorite treats…those sold in frozen form.

My memory of the Pink Panther ice cream is inexplicably linked to grass-stained feet and mosquito-bitten legs. We chased the unforgettable sound of an ice cream truck, muddy arms waving enthusiastically over our heads, a wrinkled dollar bill clutched in our fist.

That incredibly delicious frozen bar tasted more like cough syrup than cherry, but it was all I ever wanted. Round ears set atop a light pink face with not one, BUT TWO gumball eyes. I tried in vain to make that purchase last all night; I even licked the drips running down my arm.

This is the junction of food and emotion; it is what scientists refer to as “the strongest associative memories you can make”. These food memories are not just an illustration of intersectionality they represent a critical juncture that invokes powerful memories of lived experience.

It is my hope that some of our outdoor family adventures will converge with our time in the kitchen to create some of the most intense memories my children’s subconscious will ever establish. One way we help our kids understand seasonality is with a backyard garden. Growing your own food in an incredibly powerful way to reconnect with nature. 

Though small, we care for this space with great responsibility. We tend the soil, plant the seeds and all the tiny sprouts then we wait with great anticipation for harvest to begin. We reconnect with nature through growing a garden and caring for the earth. It is here we find that kids are more willing to try new fruits and veggies if they have established a connection before it lands on their plate.

We watch cucumber plants unfurl their vines and attach tendrils for support. We celebrate the first yellow flower and pollinator arrival. Because of this connection, my kids now love cucumbers in all shapes and forms…munching them fresh off the vine, as an acidic pickle or sprinkled with sea salt and eaten as a snack.

Our nature walks remind us that the first honeysuckle drenched breeze of early summer means blackberry vines are flowering too. It won’t be long before we will walk, buckets in hand, along a path covered in wild berries. We taste as we go and learn to look for ripe fruit that has turned from tart red to sweet purple.

Through berry stuffed mouths I hear my Little People ask: “Mama, can we make kid-sized pies with some of these?”

Yes, we certainly can! Back in the kitchen, we work together. As flour and butter combine, somehow ingredients find themselves everywhere. How does that even happen?! Again, we taste as we go and talk about the importance of keeping this dough cold…heat from the oven hits ice-cold pockets of butter and creates steam.

This is the science that magically creates flaky layers in our pie crust. Before long we pull delectable little pockets of summertime goodness out of the oven. Handpicked blackberries tucked inside crisp little shells. These hand pies practically dance on the pan…glittered with demerara sugar you might start dancing too!

Perhaps one day when my kids are fully grown they will pick fresh berries alongside honeysuckle flowers, bite into a crisp pastry shell, taste blueberry cheesecake or drink sumac-ade and acquire some serious gastronomic déjà vu.

Remember your why

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed as the world gets busy again. In those weeks where I existed mainly in the blue, the pressure was mounting and I had to withdraw from nonessential tasks. What started as an innocent attempt to learn from groups with great ideas quickly became something larger than myself.

I was no longer forming my own thoughts so I hit pause and removed social media platforms from my phone. During my social media fast, I worked on listening to myself think and on cultivating real relationships. What a wild thought!

These incredible people supported me, held me accountable, felt my loss, and celebrated victories. Rather than stare at a screen, I strengthened bonds with my family. We immersed ourselves in nature, became allies with the land and the food it provides.

We visited farmers’ markets, walked in rivers, danced in the rain, enjoyed an isolated beach, picked tomatoes, read tons of books and we played. Golly jeepers, we played; never before has fun been so important. We reconnected to nature and the physical beautiful world around us. The best part…I began to feel again.

Throughout this time of reflection, I was able to sort through my emotions and remember my why, my raison d’être, my reason for existence.

As it turns out my heart was there all along; but as I increased the noise in my life I lost touch with her voice.

I returned to the world of social media, not surprisingly my first action was to delete anything toxic: people, groups, organizations. I even deleted entire social platforms. But I added so much more.

The people, food, locations and ideas on my feed are more colorful now than ever before. I follow more National Parks and organizations committed to preserving these incredible spaces. I follow mamas who are getting it right: those who share real stories…real images…demonstrate life balance…and immerse their families in nature. 

Importantly, I share an authentic version of myself. 

All of these changes have given me a new way to reconnect with nature in a way that feels genuine and refreshing.

The beginning of a new opportunity

Just as the moon moves across the sky in phases, so too was this walk with emotions in my life. Tonight is a New Moon; a dark sky, perhaps symbolic of the season from which I just emerged.

But this is a sky filled with incredible promise. Tonight will be dark but the stars will shine brightly in celebration of a full moon to come. My family and I have been given a new beginning; an opportunity to reimagine the framework of our life. A chance to reconnect with nature in new ways and fully appreciate and understand the significance of the world around us.

The future will have uncertainties but one thing is sure: we will remain connected to nature and each other. These wild spaces and the food memories it provides deliver energy to our soul; for that wellspring of life, we are incredibly thankful.

These are the elements that sustain us, maintain our focus, and fill our hearts with contentment.

So now the real questions…

How are YOU doing this year?
Are you and your family reconnecting with nature?
How can we help?

About the author

Amber is a seeker of moments and a dream chaser. She is a lover of wild spaces, good food, red wine, and dark chocolate. She worldschools her two kids (2^nd and K), volunteers a bit too much, and is an Emergency Medicine Provider working with the Southeast Region’s largest COVID-19 response team. For more real-life adventures you can follow Amber and her family on Instagram @PlayLiveBe or check out their website at www.playlivebe.com.

The post Ways to Reconnect With Nature as a Family appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Gardening with kids

There is nothing more rewarding than growing your own food! Am I right or am I right? Having the ability to go into your yard and gather food for dinner, lunch and snacks is so neat! It’s a novelty that still amazes me every year. And my kids love it just as much as I do! The whole gardening process is an amazing experience for both kids and adults. From choosing the plants we want to grow, to planning the garden and then carefully planting the seeds, my kids are involved in the process from day one. They love having a say about what we’ll grow and they learn so much about the life cycle of plants.

Watching the sprouts come in and tending to each plant daily over the course of the summer is also quite an experience for the kids. We love taking care of our plants, nurturing them and singing to them. But in my opinion, harvesting your crop of fruits and vegetables is my favorite part of the process! There’s nothing like biting into a strawberry you grew with love or serving a meal to your family that you took care of together.

Benefits of gardening with kids

There are so many amazing benefits of gardening with kids. Creating a garden with your children is a wonderful way to spend quality time with them outside and teach them about nature and the environment. Kids get the benefits of fresh air, sunshine and outdoor activity. It teaches them responsibility about caring for living things by watering, pruning, weeding and fertilizing. Gardening teaches them patience and tenacity. It makes them think about where their food is coming from and encourages them to eat healthy. Planting a garden is a cheap and easy activity that educates and nourishes. It’s a great life skill and of course, it’s fun!

Easy kid-friendly snacks from the garden

My kids love being part of the gardening process, but they really get excited about our harvesting days. When our plants are ready, we’ll spend the whole day harvesting, canning\storing & eating all of our goodies! Just the pure joy on their faces pulling out the carrots that they’ve watched grow for months is worth every dirty fingernail. I definitely try to transfer this excitement about harvesting into eating our haul! Here are a couple quick and easy ways that we make kid-friendly snacks from the garden.

Straight from the garden snack ideas

My favorite way to eat the goodies from our garden is straight off the plant, outside in the sunshine! There’s something absolutely divine about plucking a cherry tomato off the vine and tasting the warm sweetness of it! It’s heavenly and I highly recommend you try it! There are so many different fruits and veggies you can plant that you can eat staigth from the garden, with little to no prep work. Here are a few kid-approved snacks ideas straight from the garden!

• sliced cucumbers
• strawberries
• cherry tomatoes
• sugar snap peas
• green beans
• bell peppers

There’s no recipe needed for any of these amazing garden goodies! All you need to do is pick, rinse (if you want) and eat! A lot of these are things that are easy for kids to grab, so let them take part in the harvesting. The more involved in the process they are, the more likely they’ll be to eat the food!

Please keep in mind that whatever you plant, if you spray it with any sort of chemical, you will not just be able to eat it straight from the garden. If you have children, I recommend only using natural fertilizers and your own compost.

Kale chips from the garden

One of our favorite super easy kid-friendly snacks from the garden is kale chips! We plant kale in the spring and pick handfuls of it throughout the summer for chips, salads and side dishes. The kids loves making kale chips and we try to keep it around all the time for a quick easy grab-and-go snack that’s healthy and delicious.  The recipe couldn’t be easier and within minutes of picking, you have a tasty snack for the whole family!

Kale chip cooking directions:

1. Rip the kale into small/medium pieces and place in a large bowl
2. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the kale (be sure not to drench as they will end up soggy)
3. Add salt or seasoning of your choice (e.g. garlic salt, ranch seasoning packet, etc.)
4. Toss to coat
5. Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for about 8 minutes or until crispy
6. Enjoy!

Juicing from the garden

Juicing is another wonderful way to incorporate your garden goodies into kid-friendly snacks from the garden. Making our own juice is one of our favorite ways to get more fruits and vegetables into our meals. The benefits of juicing are plenty! From lowering cholesterol to building your immune system, boosting your energy and improving digestion. But the best part about juicing is that it’s so easy! You can use whatever you have on hand. Feel free to throw in fruits and veggies from your garden, but also anything you have in the fridge (not from your garden).

There are a million different juice recipes and you can customize any of them to your taste or needs. If you grow celery, you can juice just celery for some amazing benefits!  Carrots with beets, cucumbers and kale make a great juice, using all ingredients from your garden. One of our favorite green juice recipes is made by blending the following: 2 apples, 2 bunches of kale, 1 thumb of ginger, 2 cucumbers, 1.5 lemons, 1/2 a pineapple and 6 oz of water. Oh man, this one is good! It’s green, but the kids love it!

If you want a few more of our juicing recipes, check out my “Natural Health” highlights reel on my Instagram account: @soulshinephotographer

Garden herb-infused drinks for kids

Herbs are another fun plant to include in your garden and use in various ways. You can use herbs for seasoning meals, making teas, infused oils and even soaps, if you are feeling creative This year we grew the following herbs: Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Lavender, Sage, and Basil. We used all of these herbs in so many different ways, either fresh from the garden or dried for later use.

One of our favorite ways to incorporate fresh herbs into our diet is to make herb-infused drinks for the kids. The subtle flavors of infused water are so much better for kids and adults than the overly sweet flavor of most juices. Also, most fruit juice also contains a lot of sugar, which you avoid with infused waters.

There are so many great combinations of fruits, vegetables and herbs to add to water to make it more fun and flavorful. Infused water is best 2 to 4 hours after you’ve made it. Or, you can let it infuse overnight in the refrigerator. Here are few delicious and herb-infused waters for kids:

• cucumbers and rosemary
• basil and strawberries
• lemon (or lime) and mint
• orange slices and basil
• honeydew and mint
• watermelon and basil
• red pepper, pineapple and basil
• apple and thyme

Garden snacks for kids

I can’t tell you enough how much I love gardening with my kids and enjoying the fruits of our labor together (pun intended). I highly recommend that you try gardening with your kids so you can enjoy so many of the wonderful benefits. If you don’t have the room or the time to maintain a large garden, there are still options, like indoor potted plants, window sill herb gardens and community gardens.  Kids will reap benefits from even the tiniest of gardens, so don’t let size stop you.  I hope your little ones like these kid-friendly snacks from the garden as much as mine do!

What’s your favorite way to eat from your garden?

About the author

I’m a wife, published photographer & mother of two little wolves. We are a homesteading family & love everything about the outdoors. We have traveled all around Wisconsin and hiked 21 state parks in just 2 years. From raising chickens, kids, having a full garden & a photography business, you could say we stay busy but we always have time for an adventure and new memories.

You can find Brandi online in the following locations:
Instagram: @soulshinephotographer
Client work: @motherhenshomestead
Website: www.soulshinephotographer.com
Run Wild My Child posts: Brandi Rondinelli

The post Quick & Easy Kid-Friendly Snacks from the Garden appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

The butterfly is a flying flower, The flower a tethered butterfly.” – Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun

A budding interest in flowers and butterflies

“Maman, look! It’s a butterfly!” my daughter exclaimed with delight.

A beautiful tiger swallowtail alighted on a flower in our garden. We quietly watched as the butterfly sipped nectar and then fluttered away on the warm summer breeze.

Flowers and butterflies have been the topic of many conversations in our home lately. It all started when my children received a special parcel with fifteen tiny little painted lady caterpillars. As those little caterpillars, grew so did our collection of library books on butterflies and flowers. Soon, we were making lists of flowers that butterflies like and making trips to our local garden centre. We had decided to plant a butterfly garden for our soon to hatch painted ladies.

Why do butterflies matter?

Butterflies are some of the most beautiful insects on our planet. Their delicate wings dance like flowers in the wind. However, butterflies are much more than pretty bugs; they are very important for healthy habitats.

Butterflies are crucial pollinators. Some plants, like milkweed, depend on butterflies to help them reproduce. Butterflies are also an important food source for birds, amphibians, reptiles and other creatures. Butterflies are even considered an “indicator” species because they are very sensitive to changes in habitat.

Sadly, the fragile butterfly is under threat because of habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use. Don’t despair! That’s where you and your child can help. Growing a butterfly garden helps butterflies by giving them food to eat and a safe place to rear their young.

Attractor flowers for butterflies

Did you know that butterflies can see the color red? It’s true! That’s why many butterflies prefer flowers that are bright red, orange and yellow. Butterflies also taste with their feet – yum!

Another interesting fact about butterflies is that they are picky eaters. Each species of butterfly has its own favorite flowers. However, despite their picky palate, there are many flowers that butterflies love. I have compiled a list below of twenty-five flowers that are sure to attract butterflies to your garden.

These butterfly attractor flowers listed below come in all shapes and sizes. Some will come back every year (perennials) and others will not (annuals). Remember, flowers behave in different ways. Some get really tall or very wide. Other like to spread everywhere. Mint and goldenrod send out runner roots and can very quickly take over an area. Plant these in containers or in areas that you don’t mind be taken over.

Also, some native flowers can be difficult to find. Milkweed is a native plant and can be difficult to find. Check local nurseries specializing in native plants. In our butterfly garden, we have a mix of sunflowers, zinnias, dianthus, cosmos, echinacea, marigold, veronica and yarrow. It’s beautiful chaos and butterflies love it.

25 flowers that attract butterflies

• Allium
• Aster
• Butterfly Bush
• Chrysanthemum
• Cosmo
• Daisy
• Dianthus
• Echinacea
• Goldenrod
• Joe pye weed
• Lantana
• Liatris
• Lupin
• Marigold
• Milkweed
• Mint
• Monarda
• Black Eyed Susan
• Nasturtium
• Snapdragon
• Sunflower
• Verbena
• Veronica
• Yarrow
• Zinnia

How to plant a butterfly garden

Planting a butterfly garden with your child is a wonderful way to connect with nature and help butterflies thrive. You don’t need a huge backyard or a large space to make a butterfly garden. If you don’t have a lot of room, don’t worry! A butterfly garden can come in all shapes and sizes. You can plant a butterfly garden in a pot on your balcony, in a hanging basket or in several containers along the sunny side of your home.

1. Choose a sunny spot

The location of your garden is more important than its size. Butterflies and flowers are sun-powered, so it’s important to plant your butterfly garden in a nice sunny spot. Make sure you also have access to water, whether that’s from rain, a sprinkler or a hose.

2. Gather your supplies

Once you’ve picked your sunny spot, make a list of supplies. You will need the following items:

• soil
• something (or somewhere) to plant your flowers in (container, pot or hanging basket)
• seeds or flowers to plant
• water

3. Select your flowers

My suggestion is to make a list of flowers that bring you and your child joy (from the list above) and take it to your local garden center, greenhouse or plant nursery. Find someone there that is happy to talk plants and offer you ideas for what kind of plants will work best for your space and climate.

Some things to think about when purchasing flowers are:

• Where are you going to plant your flowers?
• How much space do you have?
• Will the flowers come back every year (perennials) or not (annuals)?
• How much space will your flowers need?
• Will the flowers grow well in your climate?
• How big will your flowers get?
• How much water will the flowers need?
• Is it easier to grow this flower from seed or as a seedling?

4. Plant your flowers

Once you’ve selected your flowers, it’s time to get dirty! If you are planting your flowers from seed, it’s best to get them into the ground early in the season. For flower seedlings, plant them into your pot or into the ground as soon as possible. I find that it’s quite easy to forget about flower seedlings and have them accidentally dry up and die before being planted – oops!

Encourage your child to get their hands dirty and help with planting the flowers. Dirt is good for kids! And don’t forget to give your newly planted seeds and seedlings water so that they can grow.

5. Watch for butterflies

Once your flowers are planted, it’s time to sit back and enjoy your need butterfly garden. Set up a chair, blanket or reading nook near your flower garden and keep an eye out for some colorful butterfly friends with your child. Take out books from your local library about butterflies and enjoy some read-aloud time together. Maybe you will even want to rear your own butterflies!

Rearing your own butterflies

Butterflies have an amazing life-cycle called complete metamorphosis. This process has four stages: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa) and butterfly (adult). It can be very difficult to see all four stages in nature which is why rearing butterflies in your home can be such a great learning opportunity.

These days it’s easy to find butterfly rearing kits from online education stores. One popular butterfly to rear is the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterfly. My kids reared their first butterflies this season and they just loved it.

What butterflies live in your area?
What types of flowers do they like to visit?

About the author

Hello! Bonjour! I’m Josée. I am a nature lover, blogger, photographer and homeschooler. I live in the sunny Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada with my husband and my three children. We are avid rock climbers, hikers, campers, skiers and adventure seekers. We love exploring new places, both near and far, and enjoy getting outside whatever the weather. I believe in the beauty of raising wild children!

You can find more about Josée and her adventures at www.backwoodsmama.com and on Instagram at @thebackwoodsmama.

The post How to Plant a Butterfly Garden with Your Child appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Benefits of gardening with kids

There are so many great reasons to get kids involved in gardening. As outdoor activities go, gardening is a wonderful and well-rounded way to teach a valuable skill and connect kids to the earth. Half the fun of gardening is eating what you sow and kids that grow gardens tend to eat healthier and are more likely to try new fruits and vegetables. I’m always amazed at what my kiddos will eat when they’ve spent some time growing it with their own fair hands! Gardening is also a physical activity that gets kids outdoors and gets their hands in the dirt. This physical contact with nature is an immeasurable benefit to kids. Gardening can also build confidence by making children feel more skilled and capable.

No land, no problem!

You don’t have to own a big plot of land to garden. Fruit and vegetables can easily be grown in containers or hanging pots on a balcony, fence or windowsill or even inside if you’re a city dweller! Strawberries do very well in hanging baskets, for example. And tomatoes absolutely thrive in containers, so long as they have ample sunlight. Radishes do great in deep pots and beans grow well in pots with a trellis.

Experimental gardening

Last year, we built a couple of vegetable boxes in our garden for our children to grow vegetables. We had an experimental year where we planted lots of different types of fruit and vegetables and waited to see which ones would do well and which ones didn’t make it to the table! Some of the fruit and vegetables didn’t grow properly or were eaten by birds (I thoroughly recommend a net over any fruit you might grow!).

Even if all your crops fail – simply the experience of planting, tending and nurturing vegetables can help instill a sense of responsibility in children and help them care for their environment. Their excitement at the first glimpse of a little shoot after they’ve planted the seed – is priceless! They are always so excited at the first glimpse of green!

Five easy vegetables to grow with kids

If you’re looking to start a vegetable garden or grow a few container plants, here are 5 easy vegetables to grow with kids (plus a bonus fruit). These vegetables are easy and foolproof to grow with kids. We had a great experience growing these plants last year and we’re not particularly green-fingered in the garden! This goes to show that if we can grow something – anyone can!

1. Green Beans

Green beans are perfect for growing in a vegetable garden with kids.  They are easy to plant, grow and withstand a variety of weather. There are lots of different types of beans – runner, climbing French beans and dwarf beans. Beans are perfect for a sunny, well-drained spot and can also be grown in pots. You will need something for them to grow up (some type of trellis or climbing netting), but this is easy to construct from canes and twine. We found that beans grow quickly and that the runner beans and broad beans were the best hit with our kids. They loved picking them and popping them open to discover the beans inside.

2. Carrots

Carrots are another easy vegetable to grow because they survive in most climates. If you have a vegetable bed, you may need to grow a shorter version like Chantenay Carrots that don’t need as much space. These are also the best variety to grow in colder temperatures too. Since you cannot see how big your carrots are growing underground, picking the first carrot is always so much fun! It’s a total surprise and you never know what you’re going to get. The kids love choosing their carrot stem and seeing what comes up when they pull!

3. Potatoes

Potatoes are an amazing vegetable to grow with children because you can grow them in container bags and you don’t need a veggie patch! Plus, nearly all kids like eating potatoes since they are versatile to cook with. As you start with a seed potato, it’s a little bit like a science experiment for kids, which is lots of fun. My kids liked waiting for the ‘eyes’ to grow and once the seed potatoes have ‘eyes’, you can plant them in a deep bucket or potato bag (some even have a see portion so you can watch them grow). Every time the plants reach the surface, kids should cover with more soil. Potatoes are an easy vegetable for kids to learn how to take care of themselves. A good tip is to wait until all the flowers on the potato plant have nearly died back before harvesting your potatoes.

4. Cherry tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are another great vegetable to grow with kids. (Ok, yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit.) Cherry tomato plants are usually high yielding and produce a ton of little red tomatoes. These are perfect for snacking on (pop them directly into your mouth!), throw them in a salad or skewer them for kabobs. They’re also a bit sweet, so kids like them much more than larger varieties.

5. Peas

Peas are also easy to grow and grow quickly and they can be grown in pots. They are the most fun to harvest as the kids love shelling them from their pea pods! Peas can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days which makes them perfect for getting the most out of your crop. My kids (and I) love the sugar snap pea variety because they’re so crunchy and sweet. For more tips on growing peas with kids – see this article from The Educator’s Spin on It!

Bonus: strawberries and raspberries

Not a vegetable, but I’m adding this in as a bonus because kids LOVE strawberries! Strawberries and raspberries are perfect for growing with children because they are truly delicious! Homegrown berries are so much sweeter and juicier than you buy at the store. Kids love peeking under the leaves of the plants to find the red ripe strawberries or raspberries. In our garden, the strawberries didn’t ever make it back from the garden though! Strawberries can be grown in any part of your garden and can take up either a small or large space, depending on what you have available.

Be sure to check out my website for more tips on Growing a Vegetable Garden with Kids, including how to make a handy wooden spoon planter to label your vegetables! Have great fun growing in your garden with kids! We’d love to hear what successes you’ve had in your vegetable garden!

Are you growing a garden with your kids this summer?
(it’s not too late to start one)
What are you growing?

Meet the author

I’m Jemma and I live in London, England with my husband and 4 kids. My all-time favorite thing to do is take photos and capture memories of my family. I’m on a mission to ensure parenthood doesn’t rush by so quickly by creating mini family outdoor adventures and hopefully some big adventures too, one day! I’m a mum to four and an English teacher to many; my passion for storytelling, adventures and nature crafts is packaged up into my blog www.thimbleandtwig.com.

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @thimbleandtwig

The post Gardening with Kids: 5 Easy Vegetables to Grow appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Starting a garden with kids

A few months ago I decided that the kids and I would plant a garden this year. I used to have a small garden in the backyard before there were any children in my life (oh, glorious free time!), but busy spring months at work and having two summer babies put my gardening on hold for a couple of years.

This year, I decided to give it another go. I knew that it would be a really fun project for the kids to “help” me with and a great way to teach them about nature, food production, and responsibility. 

Start small with the space you have

If you’re new to gardening, start small with just a couple of plants. Plenty of fruits and vegetables grow well with just a little nurturing. You also don’t need a huge amount of space. While a large plot is ideal, lots of plants can be grown in containers on your back porch or windowsill. It’s not too late to start a garden now. A variety of plants can be planted in May to produce this summer and fall.

How to involve kids in garden prep and planning

Planning and prepping for your garden can take a lot of time and effort, so involve your kids from the beginning. Here are a few suggestions for ways to get them involved from the get-go.

• Read a few books with them on gardening to familiarize them with the process.
• Let them scope out the backyard with you to choose the perfect spot for the garden (somewhere that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day and good drainage).
• Let them help you measure your plot and build any necessary containers, raised beds, trellises, or fencing.
• Go to the store together to pick out seeds or starter plants. Talk to them about options for your garden, and let them choose at least one plant that’s theirs.
• Discuss how many plants you can fit in your garden space, where they’ll go, and make a map of the garden so they can visualize it.
• When you’re ready to prep, let them help measure the distance between plants (applied math!) and plot out where the plants will go.

Let them get dirty

Half the fun of planting a garden is getting your hands in the dirt – let your kids help! This is definitely the most fun part of gardening for kids. Once you’ve picked your spots for your plants, let them help with prepping the soil and digging the holes. Show them once how to do it and then supervise the planting of the seeds and/or plants.

Teach them to be gentle with the plants and roots. Show them how to pack the soil around the plant to support it. Let them use real tools and be part of the process. Obviously, older kids will be more helpful with this part than little kids. But either way, it’s a great way to get them directly invested and involved.

Grow foods that kids will eat

I know I’m not alone when I say that my kids have a hard time eating vegetables. It doesn’t matter how we prepare them or how much we tout their nutritional value, my kids just aren’t eating them. But, growing our fruits and vegetables in our garden this year made a big difference! 

It’s no surprise that by allowing kids to take responsibility for the veggies in the garden, kids will feel incredibly proud of their bounty and more likely to partake in consuming it! Let your kids choose at least one variety of plant as their own. Whether that’s their favorite fruit or vegetable, or just one that has a funny name (arugula!).

If your kids are not familiar with the plants/fruits/vegetables, take them to your local farmer’s market to show them the options. Then, you can purchase a few seed packets for them to try growing at home in your garden. Chances are, even if they weren’t huge fans of the vegetable before growing them on their own in the garden, they will be once they taste fresh picks straight from their backyard.

Plus, when kids pick and harvest the vegetables in your garden when they ripen, it turns veggies into a reward! How genius is that?

Some of our favorite plants (which are also relatively easy to grow): strawberries, snap peas, zucchini, beets, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, carrots and kale. 

Make gardening a learning opportunity

Nearly everything about gardening is a learning opportunity for kids. From when to plant (and why) to where to plant (and why), planting a garden is all about teaching children about nature, growth, and food production.

When it’s time to get your garden going, start some seeds indoors in small containers that are easily accessible to kids. This allows the kids to learn about how plants grow from seeds with soil, water, and light. They can learn how to use a grow light to replace the sun that plants would get outside or why placing plants near a window is important.

Gardening is also a great way to teach children about the symbiotic relationship between birds, bees, bugs, worms, and plants. Once your plants are outside, explain how certain animals/bugs will help your garden and how others could hurt it.

Teach them to be gentle with the plants and how to handle and harvest the produce carefully. Allow your kids to be a part of the process and learn from the plants that thrive and those that fail.

Gardening teaches responsibility

Planting and tending to a garden gives you a lot of opportunities to give your kids responsibilities. By including your kids in the process of planning and planting your garden, they’ll feel like it’s their garden, too, and take ownership of it.

A great way to get your kids involved in the family garden is by giving them daily and/or weekly responsibilities for the garden. My kids are 2 and 4, and they love watering the plants and checking to see if they’re growing. Every day, they check on their plants and water them with spray bottles (which keep the plants from being majorly over-watered).

They are very proud of their plants and want their garden to grow.

Making gardening fun for kids

• If you’re creative, have your kids make their own plant markers from stones or popsicle sticks.
• Let them measure the plants weekly with a tape measure (my kids LOVE tape measures) and keep a chart of how tall they’re getting.
• Allow them to decorate the garden with fairies, gnomes, princesses, Transformers, Minions or whatever else they’re into right now.
• Give them their own gardening gloves and tools.
• Allow them to help with the sprinkler and watering.
• Reinforce the notion of encouraging plant growth by working with nature and allowing your kids to interact with the bugs and worms that surround your plants. Let kids dig up worms from other areas of your yard and transplant them into your garden. Treat an aphid problem naturally with ladybugs.  
• Come up with new recipes that incorporate the food from your garden and let the kids help with cooking.

Gardening with kids

Our garden is still a work in process. The excessive rains and flooding in our area have damaged a few of our plants, but the rest are hanging in there. I’ll keep you updated on the progress throughout the summer. I’m taking bets on whether or not my children actually eat a single thing we grow (other than the strawberries), so let me know if you want in on that action!

Additional resources on gardening with kids

If you’d like more information on gardening with kids, here are some additional resources and recommendations:

• The Ultimate Guide to Gardening with Kids
• How to Start & Grow a Cut Flower Garden with Kids
• 5 Easy Vegetables to Grow with Kids
• Starting an Outdoor Herb Garden with Kids
• Tips for Fall Gardening with Kids
• Winter Garden Planning Tips
• Gardening with Ladybugs

Do you garden with your kids?
What’s your favorite thing to grow?

About the author

Sara (@sara_mccarty) is the Founder of Run Wild My Child, a resource website, online community, and podcast all about getting kids off screens and outside, one adventure at a time. She’s a mom of 3, wife, and corporate securities lawyer. She grew up in the country, but now lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and is determined to raise her city kids to be as wild and feral as possible. You can usually find her family exploring a creek, fly fishing, hiking, duck hunting, camping, canoeing, biking, or geocaching. She’s passionate about reading, photography, plants, coffee, cooking, and key lime pie.

The post Gardening with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.