5 Reasons to Get Kids Into Gardening

Getting the kids involved in gardening has many benefits.  Darn crazy weather has us all behind but I’m pretty sure the snow is gone and we can safely think about planting vegetables or trying to grow sunflowers taller than the kids.  Here’s a few great reasons to get the kids involved this summer:

Gardening Enhances Creativity

There are lots of ideas for connecting kids with gardens – have them choose their own plant to raise, create some fun garden crafts or teach them a little science by growing unique items such as sunflowers or moonflowers.  Explore some more great ways to encourage creativity with 30 Gardening Ideas & Activities for Kids.

They Will Try More Foods (and won’t be picky eaters)

Research shows that kids who grow food are more likely to try a wider variety of items at meals.  Gardening is also an opportunity to teach them more about where their food comes from and how it grows. Plus, kids are more likely to want to be involved in cooking & preparing meals if they can use items they have grown.

Gardening Will Get Kids Reading

If you don’t know me already, I can connect almost any experience to a good book for kids!  And gardening is no exception – great picture books about kids who love to plant, fun garden crafts, and unique kids cook books for new recipes!

Bugs & Dirt!

Really, what kids doesn’t love bugs and dirt!  Gardening gets kids outside, digging in the dirt, watching butterflies and catching roly polies.  They may even learn a little about pollination and how insects are involved in making the plants grow. It’s the stuff that makes for great summer memories.

Explore New Places

We have some great gardens to explore in Kansas City!  The Children’s Beanstalk Garden, located in Swope Park, is a fun place to visit and learn about plant science, nutrition and insects.  The Overland Park Arboretum has some wonderful gardens that kids will enjoy including the children’s garden (with vine tunnel & story tree), the train garden and a herb garden with amazing smells.  Powell Gardens is another beautiful arboretum that is hosting a fun Lego exhibit this summer.  And of course, the beautiful rose garden at Loose Park — the kids may not appreciate the roses but they will enjoy the fountain and walking under the garden arches.

This post is by my friend Jacquie Fisher who is the author and curator of KCEdventures. KC Edventures is an online resource that provides parents & grandparents with ideas to keep kids creative, curious and connected to the world around them. (In my speak, they give you ideas that combine hands-on, with books, and places to go in Kansas City.)

The next FREE LEGO store build in Kansas City at Oak Park Mall will be on Tuesday, (5/7) – the LEGO Blue Bird.

The event begins at 5pm, goes until supplies run out, and is limited to kids age 6-14.

Things To Do In Spring In Kansas City

Raise your hand if you were in a better mood this past week because you could get outside in the sunshine for a while (and more importantly, get the KIDS outside for a while!).  It’s definitely time to enjoy some outdoor activities — here are a few of our best picks for this month.

Deanna Rose Farmstead

The opening of Deanna Rose Farmstead is a definate sign of Spring in Kansas City!  Feed the baby animals, let the kids run through the playgrounds and enjoy searching for clues in the season-long passport that can be found at Ben’s Bank.

Visit a Gardening Store

Whether it’s a backyard garden or just a few pots, gardening is a wonderful experience for kids. I’d recommend sunflowers or or plants that attract butterflies for something kid-friendly.  Thinking about veggies?  Try some quick-growing vine plants like beans, cucumbers or pumpkins (you don’t need a lot of room if you let them grow up a trellis or fence).  Check out these 30 Great Gardening Activities for Kids to infuse more fun into your gardening.

Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure

If you’ve never fed a carrot to a buffalo, it’s quite an experience!  Located in Fleming Park at Lake Jacomo, the Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure is home to a large number of elk and bison.  These animals are awesome to see but it’s even more fun when they visit the fence line to eat apples and carrots brought by visitors.  Really, kids can’t get a more authentic experience that to be

Explore the Trails at an Arboretum

Nothing could be prettier than a walk through some beautifully blooming gardens!  Kids will enjoy exploring the trails and sites at our local arboretums and gardens.  Visit Powell Gardens or the Overland Park Arboretum and browse their family-friendly areas.  Another great place to stroll are the trails and gardens at Loose Park!  Take along our Spring Scavenger Hunt for some extra fun for the kids.

Playgrounds & Farmer’s Markets

Time to get outside to play & shop!  Kids love to explore playgrounds so print this free Playground Scavenger Hunt and find a new way to slide, swing or climb for the kids.  Then head to one of the many Kansas City Farmer’s Markets that open this month for some fresh and locally grown items for dinner.

This post is by my friend Jacquie Fisher who is the author and curator of KCEdventures. KC Edventures is an online resource that provides parents & grandparents with ideas to keep kids creative, curious and connected to the world around them. (In my speak, they give you ideas that combine hands-on, with books, and places to go in Kansas City.)

Earth Day Activities For The Kids to Help Save Money and Be Earth Friendly

What’s better than saving money?  Saving money AND doing something that helps the environment!  During April, much of the country celebrates and learns about earth-friendly practices (April 22nd is Earth Day).  Try a few of these ideas for involving the kids this month.

Make It a Family Thing

Get the kids involved in simple activities from a young age.  Children as young as preschool age can become environmental stewards.  Browse these ‘Going Green’ guides for kids & teens to learn about everyday activities that can be done at home, at school and around the community.  Introduce them to the ideas of recycling and reusing with some great kids books & websites that discuss being eco-friendly.  There are also some wonderful family movies that share some great messages about protecting the earth.

Borrow What You Read, Watch & Play

Kids like to read, watch movies and play video games but purchasing every item they want would be a huge waste of resources.  The library is a huge money-saver for families who enjoy books, magazines, movies and even video games!  If the local library doesn’t have what you’re looking for, they can request it for you from any library around the world (seriously, last summer I was looking for a really old book and they found it in Europe and sent it to my library here!).  You can also find tons of free kids books online for your computer, iPad or phone.

Stock Up Second-Hand

With summer coming soon, it’s great to have some fun items on hand to keep the kids busy, happy and engaged.  But before you run to Target for riding toys or Michaels for crafts supplies, think about shopping second-hand.  You can score some amazing items at consignment stores and yard sales in almost perfect condition.  And when you purchase a used item, you are helping it to stay out of the landfills. Here’s a list of 10 Things to Stock up on For Summer Fun to give you an idea of what you can find.

Plan Ahead

As the school year comes to an end, take a few minutes and encourage the kids to save school supplies that can be used again next year.  Do they really need a new set of colored pencils every year?  Can they continue to use some of their folders?  I frequently find that my kids use only a few pages in some of their spiral notebooks.  This can be a big savings when it comes to back-to-school shopping too!

This post is by my friend Jacquie Fisher who is the author and curator of KCEdventures. KC Edventures is an online resource that provides parents & grandparents with ideas to keep kids creative, curious and connected to the world around them. (In my speak, they give you ideas that combine hands-on, with books, and places to go in Kansas City.)

Last night during the Kansas City Mamas “How To Eat Organic On A Budget” class, I mentioned that thinking outside of the “retail box” and planning can help you save significantly on your organic grocery budget.

One of the options I mentioned was getting either weekly or bi-weekly organic produce deliveries from Door To Door Organics.

Door To Door Organics is a produce home-delivery company.

They allow you to customize a box of organic fruits and vegetables and delivers it to your door for as little as $26.13 a week. This kind of consistent delivery alleviates “I’ll just go to the store to pick up apples and then spend $60.00″ incidents from happening because you can plan your meals around your box.

Door To Door Organics Coupon Code

Use code livhealth and get $10 off your first delivery (and that makes the bitty box less than $16.50).

There are different size boxes available to accomodate any size family or specific eating habits.

And even better, you are able to trade out five fruits or vegetables per delivery. Don’t like zucchini? No problem, get more potatoes. Hate bananas? Get more apples. You can also get a fruit only, vegetable only, or mixed box to suit your tastes.

Door To Door Organics Box Options

• Bitty Box – $26.13
• Small Box – $32.66
• Medium Box – $38.66
• Large Box – $55.66

In addition, you can set up a co-op to save even more. A co-op is formed when four or more boxes go to the same location. Each member still has individual control over their account (box size, preferences, etc.), but it is picked up at one location. This is perfect for friends in a subdivision or buddies at work. Setting up a co-op will save you $3 per box.

Door To Door Organics Review

We have just started using Door To Door Organics, but I can already tell I’m going to love it. The selection and quality of the fruits and vegetables has been awesome. We are enjoying the variety and have enjoyed adding it other produce purchases. (Meaning, we burn through the apples, so we have to buy them at Costco. But I no longer have to stop buy and grab avocados or potatoes, because we are getting them delivered.) And it is hard to beat the cost – it is easily 30% less than what I would pay in retail for the same items.

So it is convenient, great quality, customizable, and less expensive that retail. I’d say it is a winner.

Disclosure: Door To Door Organics is a sponsor of Kansas City Mamas and the “How To Eat Organic On A Budget” class. However, the written remarks and opinions are entirely my own. Want more information – check out my full disclosure statement.