Getting your hands dirty and growing a garden with your kids is an adventure that enriches them in countless ways! From physical activity, igniting curiosity, sensory experiences, understanding life cycles and responsibility, to reaping delicious kid-approved snacks, gardening is a fantastic way to create lasting summer memories. Make it extra magical by adding in fairies and gnomes and create stories as you tend to your garden together.

Getting started is easy. Designate a small area in your backyard or simply use window boxes or pots. Start with small plants that are already rooted and plant crops that grow quickly so your kids can see their success sooner than later. Berries, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and snap peas are all great for beginners and kids alike. You’ll have endless snacks all summer long! Just pick, wash, and pack in your snack containers! 

To make it even more fun for your kids, try planting theme gardens- everything you need to make a dish, right from your very own garden! This is a great way to get picky eaters to try new foods, too. 

Pizza garden: tomatoes, bell peppers, basil

Salad garden: lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, radish 

Fritter garden: zucchini, green onions, dill

Salsa garden: tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, lime

One of our favorite ways to use up our garden veggies is with Cucumber Sushi. You can use any veggies you’d like, rice or no rice, and even add in some smoked salmon or sushi grade fish! They're easy for kids to make and pack up well in a lunch box along with soy sauce or spicy mayo in a Dipper. 

Here are some filling options:

Bell pepper, julienned

Carrot, julienned

Green onions, sliced thin lengthwise

Radish, julienned

Cooked rice

Cooked shrimp

Smoked salmon

Sushi grade fish

Avocado

Steps:

1. Cut the cucumbers in half at the width and remove the seeds with a corer or spoon to create a hollow center. 

2. Stuff the rice (if using) into the hollowed out cucumber and compress the rice to one side using a long spoon or small butter knife.

3. Insert the remaining ingredients to fill the gaps, compressing and adding more until there are no gaps and the halves are fully packed.

3. Slice cucumber into 1 inch rounds.

Spicy Mayo:

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp sriracha

1 tsp lime juice