Do you have picture-perfect images of what it could look like to garden with your kids? It doesn’t need to be fancy. Elissa likes to tell people it can be as easy as you want it to be, and your own trail and error will take you far! 
 
Elissa is wife to Tobin. She is a wetland biologist, and mama to two boys, aged 5.5 years and 3 months. Before having kids, she worked as a wildlife biologist specializing in birds, and then an environmental educator. She grew up competitively horseback riding and now works part-time as a riding instructor and farm/nature teacher for children. Elissa and her family live on a small suburban farm with chickens, horses, a large garden, berry patch, and fruit orchard. They love to travel, mountain bike, ski, rock climb, hike, bikepack, and camp as a family.  
 
Benefits of Gardening with Kids: 
Easy way for kids to learn how to fail 
Trail and error can teach them a lot! 
They learn how to properly weed and identify plants  
Then have to care for something by watering it regularly  
Promotes healthy eating 
Encourages motor skills 
Reduces stress 
Teaches patience, resilience and responsibility 
Improves mood 
Educates about the natural world and biological process 
Strengthens family connections 
Nurtures self-confidence 
Gets you outside, and gets you grounding!  

 
Types of Gardens: 
Container gardens 
In-ground gardens 
Community gardens 

 
Some Good Foods to Start With: 
Snap peas 
Carrots 
Kale  
Tomatoes - from a start instead of seed  
Strawberries - from a start instead of seed (and/or in a hanging pot) 
Green onions (can grow in water in a glass by the window) 

 
Fun Kid-Friendly Tips: 
Tomatoes go out after Mother’s Day  
Check your growing zone to determine frost dates and when to seed  
Give kids spray bottle instead of hose (or small watering can)  
Plant large seed size (easy to grab for kids)  
Through trial and error learn which plants need sunnier spots, when to leave a sprinkle of seeds, how deep you should seed, etc.  
Raised beds are perfect height for little gardeners 
When seeding, can use a measuring tape for a visual marker (plus math skills!); Younger kids, you can draw a visual line with your finger  
Kids can use popsicle sticks to label veggies/fruit  
Kids can use scissors for harvesting  
Give them a “yes spot” to dig  

 
Other Gardening Tips: 
Planting native plants to your region requires less water and less artificial fertilizer 
Good irrigation system (or neighbours watering) can help if you’re away 
Raised beds and/or hardware mesh can help to keep wildlife from eating your food! 
You can line beds with metal, depending on the wood  

Book Recommendation: Nature Play at Home
 
Follow Elissa on IG: @seattlestorys 
 
Check out KWE’s #patch4apurpose to support 1, or all 8, charities:
https://kidswhoexplore.com/product/original-explorer-patch4apurpose/  
 
Today’s Host: @adriannaadventures & @laurenrodycheberle from @kidswhoexplore
Production: @kpmediaproductions. Music: @michaelferraro_music