Creating a Cool Gardening Kit to Give Your Child for Christmas This Year

The holiday season is filled with hugs, gifts, and good food, and gardens are much the same. Why not combine the two and get the little growers in the house a super cool gardening kit to have fun in the vegetable beds as well?

This is a great gift because it equates to kids and parents spending time together, life lessons about self-reliance and healthy eating, as well as a gift that is truly useful while being akin to several toys. Any luck it all, and it could mean some real help in the garden as well.

While there are assembled garden kits out there for purchase, creating one from scratch allows parents to personalize the equipment and choose how far exactly to go with the kit. Here are some of the options out there to consider.

The Basics

Most ready-made gardening kits will have a collection of, or all of, the following tools. These few items can inspire children to grow vegetables. Isn’t that incredible?

• Gardening gloves are a must-have for gardens, especially ones with tiny hands. Look out for gloves with cool patterns, characters, or favorite colors.
• Hand tools are perfect for youngsters. They are easier to handle than long-handle tools. A trowel and hand rake are most important here. Any other hand tool is gravy.
• A garden journal and pencil are handy for writing down what’s been planted and when, as well as any interesting observations in the garden.
• A tote bucket/bag is a good idea in this situation because it’ll keep things tidy and together. Little tools and gloves are easy to lose.

The Activity

A basic tool kit is a great start for getting the kids in the garden, but what could be better than giving them the stuff needed to actually get growing?

• Seeds are going to be crucial to planting most things. Choose some easy stuff for kids to grow. Crops like cucumbers, squash, green beans, pumpkins, and lettuce are usually easy to get started. Seed tape can be a fun project to add to the mix.
• Biodegradable seed pots are going to make seedlings easy to deal with because they can be planted directly in the ground rather than having to handle delicate root systems. Plus, they are better for the environment.
• A watering can is easier and less messy to use than a garden hose, particularly for little seedings in biodegradable pots. Plus, for some reason, young children love watering plants. It can become an evening ritual for a few weeks.

The Upgrades

For older kids (late elementary/early middle school), it might be a good idea to upgrade the gardening kit, including some tools that get them into the real work.

• Long-handle tools aren’t only for adults. There are smaller versions of full-sized shovels, garden rakes, and hoes that can get the kids into the mix of moving soil and making planting rows.
• A kid’s wheelbarrow requires some strength and stability, but it is a great tool for a child who is not just playing in the garden. It’ll help with moving around soil, compost, plants, weeds, and all sorts.
• Gardening clothes can be good if there is any sun-sensitivity or thorny plants. A long-sleeve button-up shirt can go over any outfit to protect arms. A cool hat to block the sun is good for keeping young skin from burning.

It’s always great when a gift is something both fun and fundamental to life. Growing food at home and decreasing food miles is becoming more important every year. Some gardening skills and experience can benefit kids in the future. That’s an even better present.

Related Content:

• Ideas for Getting Kids in the Garden
• Indoor Plants for Kids to Take Care of to Learn Responsibility
• 6 Ways to Make Gardening More Fun
• 5 Nature Crafts for Your Kids and You
• 8 DIY Projects for Your Garden and Yard Using Upcycled and Recycled Materials

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