Watching It Grow

There are so many meaningful ways to hasten your child’s cognitive development and creating fun projects like planting a garden is one of them. Designate an area in your yard as a little garden for you and your child.  If you don’t have a yard area, get some planters for the windowsill or balcony.

Materials for growing small plants are readily available at DIY shops. These are relatively cheap, especially for what you and your child will need!  Usually, flower seeds come in a pack with a picture of the flower on it, which is great because then your little one can choose the flowers to plant and once the seed is growing, your child can compare the flower bloom on the package to the one in your home!

When you start your gardening project, ask your child to use gloves and a small shovel (you can even use the small toy shovel that comes in the sand play set) to start loosening the soil and prepping it for the seeds. Remind your child again about what plants need in order to grow such as soil, water, sunlight and care. Preparing the soil in advance or laying new soil down will make it easier for your little one to dig.  Encourage him to dig a hole that is deep enough to place the seeds so that they won’t be exposed if the wind blew some of the soil around. Tell him to cover the seed with soil, pat the soil down and water it.  Depending on how many flowers you decide to plant, repeat the steps as needed.  Make it part of your child’s routine during the day to water the garden and check to see if it has started to grow.

Take weekly pictures to monitor the progress and post them on the refrigerator.  What a great way to see the progress of the growth!  You can even number each stage to reinforce number skills. 

Gardening with your child gives a lot of benefits.  Not only is it fun to dig in the dirt, but you are creating a strong foundation of “learning by doing” while allowing you to bond with your toddler too!