By Kathy Carr
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension

Agriculture is a large part of our economy in the Texas South Plains. Gardening is considered one form of physical activity so there is no better time to teach your children the benefit of agriculture than to give them the responsibility of a small garden plot.
Set them up for success. Give each child his or her own separate plot. Keep it small. Whether you use raised beds, containers or ground plots be sure to put their plots right in the middle of the action, with the best soil and light.
Try to locate good tools for kids: trowel, small shovel, gloves, etc. You can acknowledge the importance of gardening by sharing your tools. Caution: some plastic child’s gardening tools break easily and might frustrate the child.
Consider converting the old sandbox to a garden bed. This gives the child a familiar space and encourages a sense of responsibility to the gardening project. A garden bed needs to be in good sunlight and soil should be free of tree roots so it may be necessary to relocate the sandbox.
Besides planting and caring for their garden beds, be sure they do the harvesting and preparation of their crop for the table. They will learn that gardening can be fun plus they are contributing to the family meal.
Children will learn by seeing the growing process from seed. The care given to sprouting seeds and caring for the young seedling are a valuable part of the gardening experience. Seeds can be started indoors in a warm room. Once sprouted they can be transplanted into pots until ready to set out.
Not every garden task is pleasant, and the younger children may not be ready for some of the tasks. They don’t have to know about every little help you offer. The child’s success of the plot is the main thing.
The best time to engage children in gardening is when they’re in the mood for this activity. If the garden tasks become boring, let them build a scarecrow. It will add another layer of interest to the garden.
Be sure to point out the children’s beds to the neighbors. Take a photo of them working their plot and send it to the relatives or post on Facebook. Any attention to their plot is the best motivator for children to stay interested in the project.