7 Easy to Grow Vegetables with Kids for Beginner Gardeners

Are you a first time or beginner gardener wanting to start a vegetable garden with your kids? These 10 easy to grow vegetables will make you and your family feel like pro gardeners in no time.

Easiest Vegetables to Grow in Your Backyard

Growing your own vegetables can be so rewarding, especially for kids and it is a great sensory activity for toddlers too.

Children are more likely to try new vegetables if they know they have grown them themselves. But some vegetables are more difficult to grow than others. They need more maintenance and attention, which can be daunting.

Gardening with kids doesn’t need to be difficult. You don’t need much, either a little patch of dirt or a planter box, a sunny place to keep it, and some time together to get dirty.

As a first-time gardener, success is important to keep you motivated. Nobody wants to see their first veggie patch fail.

Choosing easy to grow vegetables that need little maintenance is key so we have put together a no fail list below.

7 Easy to Grow Vegetables for Beginner Gardeners

Whether you have a small planter box or a large veggie patch, here is a list of the easiest vegetables to grow in your backyard for kids.

1. Peas

Peas are one of the most fun vegetables to grow with kids because they have so much fun shelling them out of their pea pods. They are easy to grow vegetables that can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen for long periods. (if they last that long, as usually the kids will eat them up well before they make it to the freezer!)

When to grow peas: Autumn / Winter

2. Tomatoes

Nothing can compare to the taste of a home grown ripe juicy tomato straight from your garden. Tomatoes are surprisingly quite easy to grow for beginners and so rewarding to grow. Just give them lots of water and make sure they get plenty of sun. There are plenty of different varieties too such as cherry tomatoes, roman tomatoes and so on.

When to grow tomatoes: Spring / Summer

3. Broccoli

It will surprise you how many kids will love broccoli when they have planted and harvested it themselves. Broccoli is an easy vegetable to grow in your garden for beginners and families.

When to grow broccoli: Autumn / Winter

4. Carrots

Carrots are a fun vegetable to grow for kids because they don’t actually grow where you can see them. They are also really easy because they survive in most climates. Once you plant the seeds, wait for the leaves to appear and grow. The carrot is nowhere to be seen so it is a mystery until they are ready to harvest.

When to grow carrots: Spring / Autumn / Winter

5. Zucchini

Zucchinis are the ideal vegetable to grow for kids as you can grow a huge crop with very little effort. There is the added effect of the zucchini flower too which makes them look pretty. While they are not a favourite to eat for some kids, if they have grown the zucchini themselves, you never know what they may try.

When to grow zucchini: Spring / Autumn

6. Lettuce

Lettuce is a great vegetable for first time gardeners and is very simple to grow. It also comes in lots of different varieties too so it makes it more exciting. Lettuce is fairly quick to grow and doesn’t need a lot of sun. Your salads at home will never taste the same after growing your own lettuce.

When to grow lettuce: Autumn / Winter

7. Green Beans

Another healthy green that is easy to grow for kids is your green beans. They can withstand a variety of weather and they grow quite quickly. You will just need something for them grow up on such as some garden sticks, or climbing net. Kids will love picking their own beans out of the garden.

When to grow green beans: Spring / Autumn

Why is Growing Vegetables Good for Kids?

Gardening with your kids is a fantastic life skill to have. Growing your own vegetables allows kids to learn where they come from and what the process is for them to grow.

It also helps them to understand how to manage resources such as water, and gives them some responsibility having their own garden to look after.

Finally, growing a garden together creates memories that they will never forget.

We hope these easy to grow vegetables for kids will help you and your family create great memories while growing nutritious food for you all to enjoy.

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Looking for more activities to do at home with the kids? See our main KIDS ACTIVITIES post or follow Mum’s Little Explorers on FACEBOOK for more inspiration