How to Teach Kids to Garden

If you'd like your kids to grow up loving gardening and learning how to grow their own food, it's never too early to get started. While there are many ways to get your kids interested in gardening, here are some suggestions to get you started.

EditSteps

1. 1
   Focus on making it fun and exciting. When children realize how many interesting, intriguing and even gross things there are to be involved in, they'll be more likely to want to get involved. Whenever planning anything, work out the fun angle, to keep your children's interest engaged.
2. 2
   

    Kit out your kids.
   Kit out your kids. A big part of the fun is having the right tools and there are many gardening tools made just for kids, in their size, and in wonderful colors. Colorful tools, while not essential, are a helpful way to encourage kids to join in. Gardening gloves for kids often come in wonderful colors and patterns too and each child should have a pair of his or her own.
   • Buy a pretty watering can which suits the child's size and strength. This will encourage him or her to keep watering the growing plants.
   • Show children how to clean and put away tools after use. Make this easy and fun too––a bit of splashing about should be part of the cleaning chores.
3. 3
   

    Choose plants that are easy to grow.
   Choose plants that are easy to grow. While it's important to involve your children in choosing the plants, make sure that the choice is from plants likely to be as trouble-free as possible, especially for beginner gardeners. Also choose a few plants that will produce a delicious edible harvest for your children to pick and take straight to the table from the garden. Some good starter choices include:
   • Sunflowers
   • Radishes
   • Squash
   • Tomatoes (from seedlings)
   • Lettuces
   • Peas and beans
   • Sweet peas, poppies, alyssum, marigolds, pansies or nasturtiums.
4. 4
   

    Show your children the basics of planting seeds and seedlings in the ground.
   Show your children the basics of planting seeds and seedlings in the ground. Do the hard work of tilling the soil and adding the nutrients for them––they can learn about that later. For now, give them the joy of planting, watering and waiting for their little plants to sprout.
   • For very small hands, make the job even easier by planting the seeds in cardboard egg cartons. When it comes time to transfer the seedling (or the seed) to the soil, cut out each little egg holding portion and let your kids plant the whole thing into the ground. The carton will disintegrate and no seeds or seedlings get lost in the transition.
5. 5
   

    Include wildlife in your child's gardening experience.
   Include wildlife in your child's gardening experience. Add a birdbath, bird feeder and feeders for any furry wildlife such as squirrels, hedgehogs, possums, or whatever it's okay to attract to your yard. If you have space, include a small pond for fish. Children will love the experience of seeing animals in the garden.
   • Tell children which animals should not be attracted to your garden! Help them to understand the beneficial role of animals in gardening, as well as pest problems.
   • If you have a large garden, you might include more pets, such as a rabbit or guinea pig enclosure, a goat or sheep, etc.
6. 6
   

    Show children how to grow plants from cuttings.
   Show children how to grow plants from cuttings. This will amaze them endlessly, to see how you can take a cutting and get a new plant. Try plants that take easily to begin with, such as succulents, begonias, pelargoniums and bromeliads. They can experiment with harder ones as they become more experienced.
7. 7
   

    Making peanut butter pine cones for the birds.
   Make things for the garden. Get crafty with the kids and recycle, repurpose and remake things that can serve as decorations or tools in the garden. There are lots of possibilities, including:
   • Turning an old tire into a garden bed or plant protector
   • Making herb or plant markers from iced confectionery sticks
   • Painting a planter or flowerpot container in bright colors and designs. Be sure to say how pretty their own flowers would look inside it.
   • Make a scarecrow to frighten away the birds; or make bird frighteners using old CDs, bits of unwanted foil and clothing, etc.
   • Make a dangling decoration from shells, beads and pebbles, using thread or fishing line.
   • Turn coconut shell halves into seedling pots––clean the inside, paint the outside like a face and anything that sprouts will seem like hair.
   • Make a bird feeder
   • Design a garden plan.
8. 8
   

    Decorate the garden with your kids' art and craft efforts.
   Decorate the garden with your kids' art and craft efforts. After you've made the objects, or purchased some at the garden center with your kids' agreement, have the kids decide where they'd like the garden decorations to go. Encourage continued decorating projects, including removal of decorations that have become a little worse for wear over time.
9. 9
   

    Talk to your kids about the importance of native vegetation in gardens.
   Talk to your kids about the importance of native vegetation in gardens. Explain that while it's fun to grow flowers and veggies, care needs to be taken to prevent non-native plants from escaping the garden and invading the local environment. Show them how to control weeds and how to keep strong growing plants under control. Explain to them why you cannot grow some plants in the garden, such as plants that are considered to be invasive species. Encourage them to learn as much as possible about native plants and how to care for these.
10. 10
    

     Acknowledge the place of the digital era in gardening.
    Acknowledge the place of the digital era in gardening. Kids love computers and electronic gadgets and it can be hard to get them off sometimes. However, you can make the most of their affinity for all things electronic and have them download a suitable gardening app or two, and by doing research about their garden and its plants online. Gardening calendars are another useful tool found in many online gardening sites. And as the kids get older, help them to use the internet to search for harder garden projects, like making a sundial, building a chicken coop or rigging up a solar power warming pad. Encourage the exchange of knowledge online into real achievements in the garden––this is a good lesson in ensuring that they see the computer as a tool in wider life activities.
11. 11
    

     Show kids how to compost.
    Show kids how to compost. It can be a lot of fun seeing kitchen scraps turn to fertile soil in time. Make sure that they don't get rostered to do compost deliveries every day though, or they'll resent it! Share the task around. Another great way to enthuse kids about compost and fertilizer is to get a worm farm. Show them how it works, how to feed the worms and how to handle them. They'll probably start naming the worms and wanting to see them regularly.
12. 12
    

     Keep gardening even when the season changes.
    Keep gardening even when the season changes. Bring the garden indoors for winter, so that your kids can still enjoy the benefits of growing plants and learn how some plants can actually thrive in an indoor environment. Good choices include a small herb garden, a windowsill planter, a terrarium built in an unwanted fish tank, or a window box.
    • Another idea for an indoor growing project is to grow a bulb in a bottle. Fill a bottle with water and place a hyacinth bulb at the top. Task your kids to keep the water level topped off and to wait for roots to develop. As the roots come on, tell them to be patient for the flowers to appear. You get both a gardening lesson and a beautiful table centerpiece from the one project!
13. 13
    

     Keep making gardening an exciting experience and be enthusiastic about it.
    Keep making gardening an exciting experience and be enthusiastic about it. Gardening is an experience for life and one of the lessons it teaches children is that there is a season for everything and that it all cycles again. Learning this can be highly beneficial, especially for children prone to spending a lot of time indoors and in cars going to other indoor places.

EditTips

• Some children do not like the texture of soil against their hands. Don't force the issue––buy a lovely pair of gardening gloves and give them a knee rest so that they don't have to get soil on their skin. Don't mock it, this will only put the child off and the sensitivity may wear off in time if you let it be.
• Consider planting a tree for each child born. At each birthday, note the child's height and the tree height and keep comparing these as each child grows. This can be a lovely way to keep your child excited about how things grow.
• Get children started with weeding early on. Many young children will love to help out with weeding. This tends to change as children age, but fun can be had by adding bounties to weeds, such as one cent a weed or a dollar for a pile of weeds reaching a pre-determined height, etc.

EditWarnings

• Don't spoil your child by giving them lots of rewards. Gardening and growing is a reward in and of itself.
• Ensure that children understand how to be careful whilst using some of the tools. In particular, show them how to hold tools when moving around and using them and to never run when holding such items.
• Always supervise children using garden tools.
• If your children like eating anything they touch, supervise closely to prevent them from eating something poisonous. Teach them to leave unknown berries, leaves and flowers alone. Teach them which plants are safe to eat.
• If there are nasty pests in the garden, like spitting caterpillars, teach your kids to recognize them and to stay aware from them. Teach children to never disturb ant, wasp or bee nests either; teach respect, not disgust for such creatures.

EditThings You'll Need

• Gardening tools for kids
• Gardening gloves for kids (and perhaps a kneeling pad)
• Plants, seeds, seedlings
• Garden plot
• Flowerpots
• Craft and recycling items
• Online access and garden books suitable for kids

How to Create Free Printable Address Books

Searching for a simple and inexpensive way to create an address book? A do-it-yourself printable address book is an easy way to get numbers, addresses and other important contact information all in one place. With just a few simple steps, your free address book can be downloaded to your computer and printed directly from your printer. Create a free personal address book to keep up with your contacts in an organized and convenient way.

Things You'll Need

• Hole puncher
• Three-ring binder or folder

Instructions

1. Download as a Word Document

   • 1
     Visit the SampleWords.com Free Printable Address Book webpage.
   • 2
     Click on "Download Address Book-Word" to save as a Word document and click "Save" once the pop-up appears. Save the address book under a specific document name of your choice. Open Word and open the address book document.
   • 3
     Move your mouse to the area you wish to enter specific contact information. Right-click once and type the information in the designated areas until all information is entered. Print your address book.
   • 4
     Make holes in each sheet with a hole puncher. Individually enter the sheets into a three-ring binder or folder to ensure your address book has a durable cover for safe keeping.

   Download as a PDF File

   • 5
     Visit the SampleWords.com Free Printable Address Book webpage.
   • 6
     Select "Download Address Book-PDF" to open your address book as a PDF file. Once the new page loads, the address book pages will be displayed on the screen.
   • 7
     Click on the disk icon at the top left-hand corner of the screen to save the document to your computer. Go to your computer's documents and open the address book.
   • 8
     Select "File" at the top left-hand corner of the screen and select "Save as Text." Once the pop-up appears, enter the name that you want to save the text document as and hit "Save." Return to your computer's documents and open the text version of your address book.
   • 9
     Enter contact information. Move the mouse to the selected area on the page, right-click and type in contact information. Print the document.
   • 10
     Make holes in each sheet with a hole puncher. Individually enter the sheets into a three-ring binder or folder to ensure your address book has a durable cover for safe keeping.

Tips & Warnings

• Alternatively, print the basic sheets and write in the contact information by hand.

How to Recognize a Potentially Abusive Relationship

Have you had a disturbing experience in your current relationship? One that made you wonder what might happen next, if a fight like this one happened again? Or do you just feel a certain dread when thinking about the way your partner will react to a situation? Could it be that your relationship has begun to cross the line from marginal to abusive? Here's how to recognize some of the most common signs, either in your own relationship or that of a friend.

EditSteps

1. 1
   Look hard at any incidents that give you an 'uh-oh' feeling. If you've seen or experienced any of the signs listed in the next steps, it is highly likely that you are in an abusive relationship, or one that is about to escalate into an abusive stage.
   • Note: It is as important to notice these things in a friend's relationship as in your own. Friends stepping in to help prevent an abusive relationship can sometimes be the only way the abused person can see the reality and begin to find ways out.
2. 2
   Check how your partner talks about you. Language is a powerful tool; it can also be wielded as a weapon to keep you in line and under the abusive person's "spell". Expressing contempt while still professing love is a deep sign of danger.
   • Watch for name-calling or insulting remarks. If s/he's calling you "stupid," that's bad, and you should call your partner on it, saying that you will not accept being called names like this.
   • If s/he's calling you a "stupid b**ch" or a "dumb whore," that's way over the line.
   • Listen to your own internal self-talk. If you start to internalize his/her negative claims about you, you may start telling yourself that you're not good enough, you're not good looking enough, you're not a good person, etc. Recognize this for what it is––his/her mind games to try and get you to put yourself down and feel worthless.
3. 3
   See how your partner positions himself/herself in terms of others. If s/he thinks that s/he is the center of the universe and that anything you do is wrong, then you're in danger. A person unable to see their own errors or be willing to own up to mistakes they've made is emotionally unhealthy and liable to cause harm to you.
4. 4
   Watch for patterns of intense possessiveness or jealousy. Anyone who gets angry or sulky when you want to go and have a night out with the girls or boys, or who questions you mercilessly any time you're seen talking to a member of the opposite sex is being too possessive. Possessiveness is not cute and sweet when it becomes akin to hoarding. If you feel you're being kept away from friends and relatives, or smothered because you can't go anywhere without your partner, it's borderline abuse. It's also almost always the way abusive relationships get started.
   • Notice if your partner gets angry when you spend time with others, even if it's only your own family members.
   • Does your partner insist that you go everywhere together and never spend time apart? Be very wary.
5. 5
   Watch how s/he treats his/her parents. If your partner is rude or dismissive to his/her own parents, how do you think you and any kids you might have in future will be treated? Remember that, right now, while your relationship is relatively young, your partner is on his/her best behavior. How will things be when s/he no longer feels s/he needs to impress you?
   • However, still be vigilant even if your partner is being nice to his/her parents but displays the other signs in this article. In this case, it's highly probable the s/he is very good at covering up abusive behavior around certain people because it's in his/her interest to do so.
6. 6
   Notice if s/he won't take no for an answer. When you have declined an invitation ("Let's go over and hang with Rick and Joni tomorrow night"), s/he will not accept it. S/he wheedles, coaxes, begs, sulks, or starts a fight over it, until s/he gets his/her way, and you end up going to the event you have already said you weren't going to.
   • This can occur in a range of contexts, including date days and times, clothing you wear, food you eat, etc. An abusive person will often insist that you do things his/her preferred way and won't back down until you agree.
7. 7
   Consider whether there is pressure placed on you to change or move faster than you're prepared to. If s/he rushes or pushes you to become more involved at a faster pace than you are comfortable with or demands that you change the way you are, then this is abusive. Not respecting your need to move slowly, trying to guilt or coerce you into something you're not ready for or wanting you to turn into someone you're not is a sign of someone who could potentially become abusive.
   • Obviously, this is not always the case––sometimes the emotions are just unbalanced and your partner feels more for you sooner than you do. But if the pushing or rushing feels really uncomfortable, and if it's persistent, or worse, relentless, you need to back him/her off very firmly.
   • Part of abuse is establishing control over the relationship––and thereby over you. Pushing constantly for affirmation or for more intimacy, especially early on, can be a sign of the type of insecure behavior that can help create an abusive relationship.
   • Signs to watch for include: Saying things like, "I love you," or "You belong to me, and only me" when you've only been dating a few months, especially when accompanied by bizarre interrogations and/or accusations about who you were talking to and where you have been. In terms of wanting you to change, be careful if your partner keeps saying things like "I wish you could be more like X", "You're too much like your mother, you need to change" or "I hate how you look––you could be so much prettier if you only tried/lost weight/dyed your hair, etc."
8. 8
   Observe the way arguments proceed. How do you disagree? Calmly, rationally, expressing your feelings and negotiating a resolution that's satisfying to both of you? Or does every disagreement escalate into a huge, hours-long row? Does s/he instantly begin pouting, yelling, or calling names? This can be a clue to bad things in store. Particularly, watch for him/her to shut down into a moody, angry sulk, with the only responses to your complaints a terse, "B**ch", "Effer" or "Stupid ho," or something similar.
9. 9
   Note how your partner treats alcohol and drugs. Is s/he using alcohol or drugs to excess? Does your partner become more violent, difficult, nasty and selfish when using drugs or alcohol? Does s/he make excuses by blaming the drugs or alcohol for harmful behavior directed at you? Does the "confidence" your partner seems to gain from drugs or alcohol mean danger for you? Alcohol and drugs are never an excuse for behavior, no matter what your partner says. Every person has a choice to take or not take these substances and to know his/her limitations and respect them. A person who chooses to be in a drug- or alcohol-infused state of rage is dangerous, selfish and in need of rehabilitation. You do not deserve to be harmed and you do not have to be your partner's savior; s/he is beyond individual help at this stage and needs medical intervention.
10. 10
    Consider whether you feel as if you're constantly walking on eggshells. That's what you feel you need to do around him/her, just to be "safe". Is s/he extremely prickly––in other words, can the tiniest disagreement or criticism set him/her off? If so, this person can become abusive in a relationship. You should feel your most relaxed, and your most "yourself" with this person; you should never feel you need to "be careful" of what you say for fear you are going to set him/her off into a long, tiresome, or frightening, tirade. Any time you find yourself watching what you say for fear that s/he'll get angry––again––you should re-evaluate your relationship.
11. 11
    Ask yourself if you're actually afraid of him/her. No matter how much you love your partner, if you're afraid of him/her, you have a problem. You may miss him/her terribly when you're apart (see the note in the Tips below), but actually dread him/her coming home. That's a clue that your relationship has already crossed the line.
    • Is your partner unpredictable? This is a classic sign of an abusive person. One moment s/he seems really caring, the next s/he is threatening to kill you. If you never know where you stand with this person, you're in an abusive relationship, be it emotionally or physically expressed, or both.
12. 12
    See physical abuse for what it is. If anyone hits you, ever, it's never okay. It's not "for your own good." You didn't "make" him/her hit you or throw a skillet at your head. There are times in most relationships where one partner or the other lashes out physically; contextually, that may be understandable if it is rare and is never violently directed toward you (for example, your partner gets angry enough to kick a trash can, etc). Recognize the difference between someone who might momentarily lose control out of frustration and anger, and someone who simply resorts to physical violence as a means of subduing you.
    • In a nutshell, physical violence toward you is never okay. You do not cause anybody to be violent; it is entirely the choice and responsibility of the violence creator and it is always within that person's control to not be violent.
    • Threats to hurt you are as bad as physical violence. Regard them seriously and see them as danger signs.
    • Violence begets violence. Once the perpetrator has hit, punched or kicked you, it suddenly becomes easier to do it again. This person figures that s/he got away with it, so why not try again. Forgiving someone for hurting you once can open the doorway to being hurt again and again.
    • If your partner hurts or injures animals, be very wary. This is a sign of a violent person.
13. 13
    Look for combinations of the above. Be sensible here. Just because someone does one or two of these things does not mean s/he is abusive. But when you see several of those signals beginning to emerge and form a pattern, it's time to end that relationship. Patterns of abuse rarely dissolve. Much more usually, they escalate, becoming worse and more dangerous with every day that goes by.

EditTips

• Talk to someone if you sense a shift in your relationship from turbulent to scary. If you need to get out, this person can help you move or find a refuge.
• Try to notice whether you spend all your time with him/her and let your other relationships go, just to avoid fights. If so, you're becoming overly dependent on that relationship and stuck in his/her power. When you're too dependent, you have no support network for rough times. (However, your partner probably really likes knowing you're utterly dependent on him/her for human contact and that's not good.)
• Some abusers use external affairs as a form of control. If s/he is having affairs and states that s/he would rather be with that person knowing full well that you won't leave him/her, this is abuse.

EditWarnings

• Don't be fooled by his/her promises to change. Let's say you've had a talk one time, and you've said, "I love you, but if you hit me again, I'm gone." S/he tearfully apologizes and promises it will never happen again. Two weeks later, you have another bruise because s/he pushed you into a doorknob really hard. Accept the truth: nothing has changed.And it probably will only change for the worse from here, not for the better.
• If he or she treats waiters or waitresses, taxi drivers, concierges or anyone else in the service industry terribly, walk away. This is a sign that s/he has a mean superiority complex that divides the world into worthies and unworthies and this sense of unworthiness will soon be inflicted on you.
• If you leave an abusive partner, and s/he continues to stalk you, see the police immediately to seek a restraining order. It may also be safer to move elsewhere and to change your regular patterns for a while until s/he ceases to be as obsessed with you.