Ten Fun Plants For Kids To Grow - Kids Gardening

Kids gardening is such a wonderful thing for kids to do. It teaches them responsibility. It allows them to care for a living thing. It teaches them life skills such as learning about how soil, sunlight and water work together to grow a plant. It also allows you to share in your kids joys of accomplishing something.

Over the years my oldest son has had quite a few different types of plants from carnivorous plants to flowers to growing vegetables. Below are his favorites.

Venus Flytrap

Our Venus Flytrap Jaws

This is my son's favorite plant! Venus Flytrap Plants seek out insects to feed on, making it a carnivorous plant. They are native to North America and actually grow wild in a city in our home state-Wilmington North Carolina.

Fun Venus Flytrap Facts:

• Each trap has six trigger hairs. Three hairs on each lobe.
• To trigger a trap you need to stimulate one hair twice. 
• It takes about 10 days for a Venus Flytrap to completely digest an insect and reopen its trap.

Pitcher Plant

American Pitcher Plant

Nepenthes Pitcher Plant

This is my son's second favorite plant. And yes, it's another carnivorous plant. 

Fun Pitcher Plant Facts:

• It's sweet smelling juice lures in insects, including bees and hornets where they are unable to get back out of the Pitcher plant.
• The juice has chemicals in it which dissolves the insect allowing the plant to eat it up.

Sensitive Plant

This plants leaves fold up when touched, making it another fun gardening experiment for kids.

Fun Sensitive Plant Facts:

• Also called the Touch-me-not plant.
• It has slightly prickly, woody stems.
• It closes during darkness and opens up with light.

Cactus

From my perspective, cactus's are the easiest plant to care for. We have the Desert Biodome Terrarium Plant Growing Kit. We also have a potted Barrel Cactus.

Fun Cactus Facts:

• With this kit you only need to water it 2 - 3 times a year! At least that is what the directions say.
• Most cactus's require more watering than that. For more information on caring for a cactus visit Aggie Horticulture.

Cherry Tomatoes

Yummy! Cherry Tomatoes taste amazing and are so easy to grow.

Fun Cherry Tomato Facts:

• In about a month after planting, they will start flowering. Then tiny green fruits will start to bud, eventually turning into sweet juicy Cherry Tomatoes.
• Ripe Cherry Tomatoes easily pop off the plant.

Basil
Basil is one of my families favorite herbs. You can eat it straight from the plant or dice it up for a delicious Italian dish.

Fun Basil Herb Garden Facts:

• Can grow up to 18 inches.
• Grow in complete sunlight.
• Dried basil loses a lot of it's flavor. Freeze to keep it!

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are one of the most beautiful flowers!

Fun Sunflower Facts:

• The flower head is made up of lots of tiny flowers called florets.
• The stem of a flower can grow up to 10 feet.
• Sunflowers are native to the America's.

Marigolds

Marigolds are another easy plant for kids to care for.

Fun Marigolds Facts:

• Grow from mid-spring to first frost.
• Need full sunlight.
• You can start growing them indoors first and then move them outdoors.

Please share what plants do your kids enjoy growing!