I love cooking with fresh vegetables and fruits straight from our garden. It's equally important for our children to experience the process firsthand. This year, we're planting our vegetable garden with the kids again—but with a unique twist that suits our family.
We have a decent-sized garden, though it's mostly claimed by kids playing and our energetic dog. The terrace, however, is my domain—or so I try to enforce! Chalk boundaries on the grass don't hold up against stray footballs.
Updated: August 2020
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Kids who only shop at supermarkets often don't grasp the effort behind fresh produce like a head of lettuce. Starting a garden teaches them the journey from seed to plate, fosters respect for nature, and provides a calming, hands-on activity.
Plus, it pulls them away from screens for genuine quality time and conversations.
No garden? No problem. In our old home, we built elevated veggie boxes from scaffolding wood on wheels over tiled terraces. They're mobile for parties, pest-resistant (no snails or caterpillars since they're raised 10cm off the ground), and ideal for small yards.
Find cultivation and veggie garden boxes here
For in-ground gardens, try coffee grounds against snails—check our tips. Ours needs a refresh; only forgotten veggies remain!
Maintaining a garden builds huge respect for food amid challenges like pests, weather, or poor yields. Daily check-ins keep kids engaged and teach resilience.
Follow these expert-backed strategies from my years of family gardening to keep everyone motivated.
Opt for quick, forgiving crops for fast wins:
Start with seedlings too, skipping full germination waits.
Avoid overwhelm—begin with a 1m² box on legs. Fewer weeds, less work, and room for variety (one crop per square).
Ideal: Partial sun/shade, with shelter from midday scorch.
Kids adore ownership. Gift a personal 1m² box and tools like the Gardena kids' set (available here).
Enhance learning with children's books on gardening or 1m² methods—both excellent for beginners. Shop at Bol.com.
Turn lessons into play: Collect seeds, draw/label them, match by feel/smell. Watch YouTube germination videos or craft seed bombs for rainy days.
Samsam's recent feature on global gardens highlights food security for 10 billion by 2050. From Israeli greenhouses to Surinamese self-sufficient schools, kids everywhere learn self-reliance.
In the Netherlands, many kids still puzzle over cauliflowers—we've learned (the hard way, post-holiday blackening)!
Check Samsam's YouTube for seaweed farms in Zeeland. Subscribe for €15/year—perfect educational reading.
Albert Heijn's old seed tins were genius: Start tiny, repot as they grow. Cucumbers to beans—endless fun and education.
Tip: Involve kids fully—they'll own the harvest, save you time, and love 'their' food!
