Depending on where you are, summer vacation has already started for your kids. Have you signed them up for camp? We are joining in with some blogger friends to share our summer camp at home series. This week, I am sharing tips on herb and veggie gardening with kids. We got started on our garden back in April and now we are enjoying some of our crop. This week we will be digging and moving some of our plants to the ground because they will need more room but you can easily get started on your container garden today.
You can find seeds for many herbs, veggies and fruits all year. We grow small herb plants throughout the year and use them in different dishes we prepare. Just last week, we made Roasted Summer Vegetables with Thyme. The thyme was from our garden. Zoe picked it, washed it and pulled the thyme leaves from the stem to add to our recipe. Here are some great resources to getting started with your garden.
Summer Camp at Home – Kids Garden Projects
Herb and Vegetable Garden Resources
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map – you definitely want to know what you can plant in your area, when to plant it and what needs to be started indoors due to frost. Check out this map and plug in your zip code for more details.
Books
Nothing beats a good old fashion book. Get your kids reading about plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers and anything specific you want to grow. My college had a horticulture department which fascinated me. You never know if your child will be the next horticulturist. Here are a few of our favorite books:
Project Garden: A Month by Month to Planting, Growing, and Enjoying All Your Backyard Has to Offer
Kids’ Container Gardening: Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out
In The Garden (Green Start) – Board Book
Eating the Alphabet – Board Book
My favorite book of all because it includes poems, activities, crafts, garden plans and more. Plus the title says it all. It’s all about the kids and their adults too. It’s a “classic” written in 2001 which makes me love it more. I’m super old school at heart.
Sunflower Houses: A Book for Children and Their Grown-Ups
Of course, Amazon also has a lovely collection of best-selling
Activities
16 Beautiful Painted Rock Projects: Art in Your Pocket
35 Easiest Container and Pot Friendly Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
Exploring Science: Sprouting Beans
Missed any of the Summer Camp at Home Series. Check them out here:
Week 1:
Week 2:
7 Comments
April Grant
June 15, 2016 at 1:00 PMI do not have a green thumb and I’ve had my first plant that’s lasted two months. I think I need to transplant them or something. I need hands-on gardening help.
M J
June 18, 2016 at 9:17 AMI take it slow and I’ve gotten better over the years.
Lucy
April 2, 2017 at 12:45 PMHi nice post
Oliver Gardener
April 23, 2017 at 5:27 AMWonderful post. Would love to try something similar with this at home soon. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Oliver
Elle
November 30, 2019 at 6:37 AMMy two girls love gardening! We don’t do summer camp as my parents come over for 3 months to visit – they’re a summer camp and a half :D. We’re in the garden every afternoon. The girls pick fruits and vegetables that are ready to eat, forage for little bush tomatoes, strawberries, hidden raspberries… Great fun! It’s mango season coming up now, and the banana’s will follow soon after. Two of our favorites 🙂
M J
December 30, 2019 at 12:28 PMYes a garden focused adventure is so much fun with kids. I need to replant my strawberries so I will check out your guide for using straw bales.
Nina
January 1, 2021 at 11:19 PMGreat article, I love gardening activities for kids.