Germinate with Children - Create a Green Greenhouse Universe for the Whole Family.

March is the perfect month to transform seeds into a multitude of plants for the greenhouse. Invite your little helpers to germinate everything from tomatoes, eggplants, chili, and bell peppers. However, we can't promise that germination will be faster with the little ones. But we promise it will be fun, educational, and give them soil under their nails – and hopefully, it will result in green (greenhouse) thumbs in the long run.

Explore the world of seeds.

Maybe you've already chosen what you want to grow this year. Otherwise, you can also check out our previous blog post here, where we provide helpful advice for planning greenhouse cultivation with children.

Seeds from the lunchbox

Even if you've bought seeds, it's fun for the kids to search their lunchbox or the fridge for seeds from cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, or melons, for example. You can also try sowing seeds from a lemon or lime.

Explore nature for seeds

Also, try exploring nature and let the kids collect seeds they find interesting to grow. Maybe not all of them are for the greenhouse, but you can plant them in the garden or in a pot and watch them grow. Here, acorns found in the forest were among the seeds sown.

Different seeds for different ages

Choose larger seeds for younger children and smaller seeds for older children. Beans, for example, are perfect for small hands, while tomato and bell pepper seeds challenge older children.

Snack tomatoes in different colours

Tomatoes are almost always a hit with kids. Especially go for cherry tomatoes that are easy to eat straight from the plant. Prefer small bush and dwarf varieties so that even the youngest children can reach them.

Create a green universe together - and make it fun.

Experiment and play.

Let the children’s imagination flourish. In addition to going on seed hunts and sowing the seeds they find, let them play along the way – let the teddy bear (or the snake as in the pictures here) be part of the germination and make up stories along the way. Do small experiments – for example, a mini greenhouse (see how below) where you can follow the germination process through a plastic pocket.

Remember that it’s okay to “fail” – as you can see in the picture, plenty of false beans were sown in the same pot. There will likely also be soil everywhere, so choose a place that can get dirty or lay a wax cloth, newspaper, or cardboard, so it doesn’t matter.

Make a mini greenhouse.

Create a warm and humid climate by making a mini greenhouse. In the picture here, an old plastic pocket and a handful of cotton from last year's Christmas landscape are used. Here, false bean seeds are sown so that children can follow the germination process. A mini greenhouse allows them to see the germination process that normally takes place underground. You can also use old plastic bottles, for example.

Draw cute plant signs.

Make some cute plant signs for the crops you are going to grow so that the kids can see which plants are growing were. Draw and write with permanent markers or laminate the signs so they can withstand water. In the picture here, decorating is done on a piece of milk carton that will become a little house, clipped on "so the plants grow by the house."

Germination pots from recycled materials.

Also, look for used egg cartons, milk cartons, or anything else for your germination. You can use almost anything, just make sure there are small holes at the bottom for water drainage. Read more about how to make your own germination pots from recycled materials here.

When you're done, your germination pots should be placed in a warm place until they sprout. When they sprout, it's important that they are placed in a bright place, such as on a windowsill. Place them where children can follow the germination process daily.

We hope you have a good start to the new greenhouse year and pass on the joy of cultivation to the next generation.

 

Green regards

Team TagTomat