Preparing for Spring: Garden Planning with Little Helpers

As early years professionals and parents ourselves, we know that January might seem too early to think about gardening, but this quiet time is perfect for planning growing projects with young children. Early preparation builds anticipation, teaches planning skills, and creates opportunities for learning about nature, seasons, and the patience required for growth.

Why Garden with Young Children?

Developmental Benefits of Gardening

Working with plants supports:

Scientific thinking through observation and prediction
Responsibility and care for living things
Patience and delayed gratification waiting for plants to grow
Sensory exploration through different textures, smells, and sights
Mathematical concepts through measuring, counting, and comparing

Life Skills Through Growing

Children learn:

Cause and effect relationships between care and growth
Planning and sequencing from seed to harvest
Problem-solving when plants face challenges
Persistence when initial attempts don't succeed
Appreciation for where food comes from

January Garden Planning Activities

Seed Catalog Exploration

Even young children can participate:

Look at pictures of vegetables and flowers together
Discuss colours, shapes, and sizes of different plants
Choose simple, fast-growing varieties for early success
Create a wishlist of plants to try growing

Indoor Seed Starting Preparation

Begin preparing for spring planting:

Collect containers for seed starting (yogurt pots, egg cartons)
Gather materials like potting soil and seeds
Create labels for different plants (drawing pictures for non-readers)
Designate growing spaces near sunny windows

Planning Garden Spaces

Whether you have a garden, balcony, or just windowsills:

Measure spaces available for growing
Discuss sunlight and water requirements
Plan accessibility so children can reach and care for plants
Consider seasons and when different plants will be ready

Age-Appropriate Garden Projects

18 months - 2 years

Simple sensory experiences:

Touching soil and feeling different textures
Watering plants with small watering cans or cups
Picking flowers or vegetables when ready
Exploring garden tools sized for small hands

Best plants to start:

Large seeds like beans or sunflowers
Herbs like basil or mint for sensory experiences
Fast-growing lettuce or spinach for quick results

2-3 years

Beginning responsibility:

Daily watering with guidance and reminders
Planting seeds in prepared holes
Harvesting ready vegetables or flowers
Helping with simple tools like hand trowels

Suitable plants:

Cherry tomatoes for ongoing harvest
Radishes for quick growth (ready in 30 days)
Marigolds or nasturtiums for colorful flowers
Peas for climbing and pod exploration

3-5 years

Increased independence:

Planning their own small plot or container
Recording growth through drawings or photos
Understanding seasons and planting times
Taking primary responsibility for specific plants

More complex projects:

Multiple varieties of the same plant (different coloured peppers)
Succession planting for continuous harvest
Companion planting (flowers with vegetables)
Saving seeds from successful plants

Indoor Growing Projects for Winter

Windowsill Herbs

Perfect for year-round growing:

Basil for pizza and pasta cooking
Chives for easy cutting and re-growth
Parsley for continuous harvest
Mint (in separate pots - it spreads quickly)

Microgreens and Sprouts

Quick results for impatient gardeners:

Cress grows on damp cotton wool in 7-10 days
Mung bean sprouts ready in 3-5 days
Sunflower microgreens ready in 10-14 days
Pea shoots for sweet, crunchy snacking

Re-growing from Kitchen Scraps

Exciting projects using food waste:

Green onions in water on the windowsill
Celery re-growing from the base
Sweet potato vines in water containers
Avocado pits for slow-growing trees

Creating Garden Learning Opportunities

Observation and Recording

Encourage scientific thinking:

Daily growth checks noting changes
Photo documentation of plant progress
Weather tracking and its effect on plants
Measuring plant height with rulers or string

Mathematical Concepts

Gardens naturally teach:

Counting seeds, leaves, flowers, or vegetables
Measuring plant growth and spacing
Patterns in leaf arrangements or flower petals
Time concepts through planting and harvest schedules

Language Development

Rich vocabulary emerges from:

Descriptive words for textures, colours, and growth
Sequence words for planting and care routines
Scientific terminology introduced naturally
Storytelling about plant growth and garden adventures

Tools and Safety for Young Gardeners

Child-Sized Tools

Invest in appropriate equipment:

Small watering cans that aren't too heavy when full
Hand trowels with shorter handles
Child-sized gloves for protection and comfort
Wheelbarrows or buckets for collecting harvest

Safety Considerations

Teach tool safety from the beginning
Supervise around water features or large containers
Choose non-toxic plants for areas children will be playing
Create clear boundaries between child and adult garden areas

Dealing with Disappointment and Failure

Learning from Garden Setbacks

Not everything will grow successfully:

Normalize failure as part of gardening and learning
Investigate problems together (too much water, not enough sun)
Try again with different plants or methods
Celebrate successes even if they're small

Building Resilience

Focus on effort rather than results
Discuss patience and how growth takes time
Share stories of experienced gardeners' failures and learning
Maintain optimism about future growing attempts

Connecting Garden to Kitchen

Cooking with Homegrown Produce

Make the garden-to-table connection:

Simple preparations that highlight fresh flavors
Involving children in washing, chopping (safely), and tasting
Comparing tastes between store-bought and homegrown
Preserving excess through simple methods like freezing herbs

Sharing the Harvest

Teach generosity and community:

Giving vegetables to neighbors or family
Bringing flowers to teachers or caregivers
Sharing seeds with other gardening families
Donating excess to local food banks

Preparing for Outdoor Growing Season

Soil Preparation

Even young children can help:

Adding compost or organic matter to beds
Mixing soil with hands or tools
Removing weeds and debris from growing areas
Creating raised beds or preparing containers

Planning Plant Placement

Consider together:

Sunlight requirements for different plants
Water access for easy maintenance
Growth habits (tall plants behind shorter ones)
Companion planting for natural pest control

Building Anticipation for Spring

Creating Planting Calendars

Visual planning tools:

Mark planting dates for different seeds
Count down to outdoor planting time
Plan succession plantings for continuous harvest
Anticipate harvest times for different crops

Reading Garden Books

Build excitement through stories:

Fiction books about gardens and growing
Non-fiction books about plants and life cycles
Books about children gardening
Garden magazines with pictures to explore

Looking for early years provision that values hands-on learning and connection with nature? Join our waiting list to discover our approach to outdoor education and natural learning when we open late in 2026.