Tips: Children and Plants

Børnevenlige planter, introduktion til planter

Children of all ages can be introduced to plants no matter where you live. Teaching your child about plants is a cozy and educational family activity that can enhance your child’s understanding of nature. It can be done on a trip in nature or quietly at home.

We have compiled some tips on how you can introduce children to plants in an understandable and engaging way.

Explore nature

  • Take the kids to the garden, park, or forest to explore various plants, insects, and how they grow.
  • If you don’t know all the types of trees or flowers by heart, you can borrow a book about Danish plants from the library or find an app to help you along the way.
  • Let your child take pictures of the plants so you can look at the photos together later.
  • Create a nature journal where you can describe and draw what you have seen.
  • Make your own signs for the plants by collecting stones and branches. They can be painted, decorated, and you can write the plant’s name on them.
  • Organize a treasure hunt outside or at home, where you have to find and identify specific plants.
  • Visit a plant nursery or botanical garden together.

Grow Plants Together at Home

  • Give your children their own little area in the windowsill, on the balcony, or in the (kitchen) garden.
  • Involve them in setting up their area, for example by making fun creative signs, decorating a pot themselves, or placing toy figures to make it lively and fun. Be creative and allow for fun and games.
  • Consider keeping a small plant diary where you note the plant’s height, growth, and water needs. Progress is fun, so keep a ruler handy.
  • Take the kids with you when buying pots, seeds, or plants, so they can have a say in the project.
  • Give them the opportunity to help with soil, planting, and watering, as it is an educational experience and gives a sense of responsibility.
  • Choose easy and fast-growing plants to make the experience a bit more enjoyable for the impatient ones. Depending on patience, you can choose to sprout plants from seeds or start with an adult plant.
  • Consider edible plants; it’s both cozy to pick from the plant and can be used in shared cooking.

Recommendations for Kid-friendly Plants

  • Cress: There’s a reason why cress is the eternal children’s classic. Quickly and easily, you get the chance to see it grow and use it in food.
    All you need are cress seeds, cotton wool, and a container (e.g., a small pot or a cut milk carton).
    Place the cotton wool in the container, moisten it well, sprinkle the cress seeds on the cotton wool, and place it in a bright spot. Water a little daily, and after about 10 days, you have cress for the lunch table.

  • Tomatoes: Especially fantastic if you already like tomatoes. You can taste the first tomatoes and get relatively quick yields. Cherry tomatoes are a good choice as they grow quickly and are child-sized.
    Put soil in a pot, plant tomato seeds or a small plant, and let them get plenty of sunlight and water regularly in small amounts. From seeds, you typically have the first edible tomatoes after 1.5-2 months, while a mature plant can produce tomatoes from day one.

  • Peas: Peas are fast-growing, easy, and of course, delicious to taste. You can choose between varieties, such as peas with blue pods or sugar snap peas that can be eaten with the pod. Best grown outdoors but can also be grown in a windowsill or on a balcony.
    Plant pea seeds a few centimeters in the soil and water regularly, as they should not dry out. Pea plants climb, so let them grow up a couple of sticks or other support in the soil. Harvest continuously.

  • Herbs: Choose the herbs you like best, but most are easy to grow both indoors and outdoors. Child-friendly choices include chives, parsley, basil, or mint, as they are all quick and can be used in food and drinks.
    Sow seeds a few centimeters deep, or buy an established herb plant. Give them plenty of light, water regularly, and only harvest 1/3 at a time.

  • Sunflowers: For those with a garden or balcony, sunflowers are a fun option. They grow quickly (and tall), and it can be fun to compete for the tallest or most beautiful sunflower.
    Sunflowers prefer deep soil, lots of sunlight, and plenty of water. Fertilize a couple of times over the summer. A small warning that sunflowers can get really tall if you take good care of them.

If you use fertilizer with your edible plants, we always recommend using organic fertilizer intended for the purpose.

Have fun!