Spring is the perfect time to roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and start your own vegetable garden adventure with your elementary-age children. Whether you're a seasoned green thumb or a newbie to gardening, there's something magical about watching seeds sprout, plants grow, and vegetables thrive.
In this post, we'll explore the best vegetables, fruit, and tubers to grow in your spring garden in a four-season growing zone in North America, along with fun learning extension activities to engage your little ones in the wonders of gardening!
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| Growing watermelon |
1. Watermelon
Time to Grow: 80-100 days
How to Grow: Watermelons thrive in warm weather and well-drained, fertile soil. Plant watermelon seeds or seedlings in hills or mounds, spacing them about 3-5 feet apart. Provide ample sunlight and regular watering, especially during fruit development.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Host a watermelon seed spitting contest. After enjoying a juicy watermelon snack, save the seeds and set up a designated area for a friendly competition to see who can spit the seeds the farthest. This activity not only provides entertainment but also teaches about seed dispersal in plants.
2. Peas
Time to Grow: 60-70 days
How to Grow: Peas prefer cooler temperatures, making them an excellent spring crop. Plant pea seeds directly into the soil, spacing them about 2 inches apart in rows. Provide support for the vines to climb as they grow.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Build a simple trellis for your pea plants together. Let your kids decorate it with colorful ribbons or paint, turning it into a garden art masterpiece.
3. Lettuce
Time to Grow: 30-45 days
How to Grow: Lettuce is easy to grow and perfect for spring salads. Plant lettuce seeds in shallow furrows, covering them lightly with soil. Keep the soil consistently moist and provide shade during hot afternoons.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Host a lettuce taste test with different varieties of lettuce from your garden. Let your kids rate each type based on taste, texture, and appearance.
4. Radishes
Time to Grow: 20-30 days
How to Grow: Radishes are quick-growing and can be sown directly into the soil. Plant radish seeds about 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart in rows. Thin the seedlings to allow room for bulb development.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Use radishes as stamps to create unique patterns on paper. Cut the radishes in half and let your kids dip them in non-toxic paint before stamping.
5. Potatoes
Time to Grow: 70-120 days
How to Grow: Potatoes require loose, well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. Plant seed potatoes about 4 inches deep and 12 inches apart in rows. As the plants grow, mound soil around the base to encourage tuber development.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Turn harvesting potatoes into a treasure hunt. Let your kids dig through the soil to find the hidden potatoes, counting and sorting them as they go.
6. Squash
Time to Grow: 45-60 days
How to Grow: Squash, including varieties like zucchini, yellow squash, and butternut squash, thrive in warm weather and well-drained soil. Plant squash seeds or seedlings in hills or mounds, spacing them about 2-3 feet apart. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Engage your children in the entire lifecycle of squash, from seed to harvest. Have them participate in planting the seeds, watering the plants, and caring for the growing squash. Encourage observation and discussion about the different stages of plant growth, from seedling to flowering to fruiting.
You can also incorporate squash into various cooking activities with your children. Let them help harvest ripe squash from the garden and assist in preparing delicious meals together, such as squash soup, roasted squash, or squash pasta dishes.
7. Spinach
Time to Grow: 30-45 days
How to Grow: Spinach thrives in cool weather and prefers well-drained soil. Plant spinach seeds directly into the ground, spacing them about 6 inches apart in rows. Keep the soil consistently moist and provide shade during hot afternoons.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Create a spinach-themed recipe book with your kids. Experiment with different ways to incorporate spinach into dishes, such as smoothies, salads, and pasta sauces.
8. Beets
Time to Grow: 50-70 days
How to Grow: Beets prefer loose, well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. Plant beet seeds directly into the soil, spacing them about 2 inches apart in rows. Thin the seedlings to allow room for bulb development.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Use beet juice as natural dye to create colorful tie-dye shirts or fabric. Let your kids experiment with different patterns and colors, learning about the science of natural pigments.
9. Broccoli
Time to Grow: 60-80 days
How to Grow: Broccoli thrives in cooler temperatures and nutrient-rich soil. Plant broccoli seedlings about 18 inches apart in rows, ensuring they receive plenty of sunlight. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Measure the growth of your broccoli plants each week and chart the progress on a growth chart. Discuss the different stages of plant growth and encourage your kids to record their observations.
10. Kale
Time to Grow: 50-65 days
How to Grow: Kale is a cold-hardy crop that can tolerate light frost. Plant kale seeds directly into the soil, spacing them about 12 inches apart in rows. Keep the soil consistently moist and provide shade during hot afternoons.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Turn kale leaves into "kale chips" by baking them in the oven with olive oil and seasoning. Let your kids experiment with different flavors and spices, creating their own unique kale chip recipes.
11. Radishes
Time to Grow: 20-30 days
How to Grow: Radishes are quick-growing and can be sown directly into the soil. Plant radish seeds about 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart in rows. Thin the seedlings to allow room for bulb development.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Use radishes as stamps to create unique patterns on paper. Cut the radishes in half and let your kids dip them in non-toxic paint before stamping.
12. Cucumbers
Time to Grow: 50-70 days
How to Grow: Cucumbers thrive in warm weather and well-drained soil. Plant cucumber seeds or seedlings in mounds or hills, spacing them about 12 inches apart. Provide support for the vines to climb as they grow.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Create a cucumber tasting party with different varieties of cucumbers from your garden. Let your kids taste and compare the flavors, textures, and sizes of each cucumber.
13. Zucchini
Time to Grow: 45-65 days
How to Grow: Zucchini loves warm weather and fertile, well-drained soil. Plant zucchini seeds or seedlings in hills, spacing them about 2-3 feet apart. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Use zucchini as a canvas for vegetable stamp art. Cut the zucchini in half and carve fun shapes or designs into the flesh. Dip the cut side into non-toxic paint and stamp onto paper.
14. Green Beans
Time to Grow: 50-65 days
How to Grow: Green beans thrive in warm weather and well-drained soil. Plant green bean seeds directly into the ground, spacing them about 4-6 inches apart in rows. Provide support for the vines to climb as they grow.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Build a bean teepee in your garden using bamboo poles or sticks. Let your kids decorate the teepee with ribbons or painted designs, creating a cozy hideaway for garden play.
15. Bell Peppers
Time to Grow: 60-90 days
How to Grow: Bell peppers prefer warm weather and fertile, well-drained soil. Plant pepper seedlings about 18-24 inches apart in rows, ensuring they receive plenty of sunlight. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Conduct a pepper taste test with different colors of bell peppers from your garden. Let your kids compare the sweetness, crunchiness, and flavor intensity of each pepper.
16. Tomatoes
Time to Grow: 60-85 days
How to Grow: Tomatoes thrive in warm weather and fertile, well-drained soil. Plant tomato seedlings in holes deep enough to cover the stem, spacing them about 2 feet apart. Provide support for the vines to climb as they grow.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Measure the height of your tomato plants each week and create a growth chart to track their progress. Discuss the different stages of plant growth and encourage your kids to draw illustrations of each.
17. Sugar Snap Peas
Time to Grow: 60-70 days
How to Grow: Sugar snap peas thrive in cooler temperatures and well-drained soil. Plant pea seeds directly into the ground, spacing them about 2 inches apart in rows. Provide support for the vines to climb as they grow.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Create a "pea pod" counting game. Use dried pea pods as counters and have your kids practice basic math skills by counting and sorting them into groups.
18. Cabbage
Time to Grow: 70-100 days
How to Grow: Cabbage prefers cooler temperatures and fertile, well-drained soil. Plant cabbage seedlings about 12-18 inches apart in rows, ensuring they receive full sunlight. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Host a cabbage-themed science experiment. Cut a cabbage in half and observe the layers and patterns inside. Discuss the parts of a cabbage plant and its role in our diet.
19. Swiss Chard
Time to Grow: 50-60 days
How to Grow: Swiss chard is a hardy leafy green that thrives in cooler temperatures. Plant chard seeds or seedlings directly into the ground, spacing them about 6-12 inches apart in rows. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Create a rainbow salad with different colors of Swiss chard leaves. Let your kids experiment with mixing and matching the colorful leaves to create their own unique salad creations.
20. Cauliflower
Time to Grow: 60-80 days
How to Grow: Cauliflower prefers cooler temperatures and fertile, well-drained soil. Plant cauliflower seedlings about 18-24 inches apart in rows, ensuring they receive full sunlight. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Conduct a "cauliflower exploration" session. Cut open a cauliflower head and examine the unique fractal patterns inside. Discuss the science behind fractals and their occurrence in nature.
21. Brussels Sprouts
Time to Grow: 90-110 days
How to Grow: Brussels sprouts thrive in cooler temperatures and fertile, well-drained soil. Plant Brussels sprout seedlings about 24-36 inches apart in rows, ensuring they receive full sunlight. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Host a "Brussels sprouts taste test" with your kids. Prepare Brussels sprouts in different ways, such as roasting, steaming, or sautéing, and let your kids rate each preparation based on taste and texture.
22. Carrots
Time to Grow: 70-80 days
How to Grow: Carrots thrive in loose, well-drained soil. Plant carrot seeds directly into the ground in early spring, about 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Create a carrot-themed scavenger hunt in the garden. Hide small toy bunnies or carrot-shaped objects among the carrot plants for your kids to find.
23. Turnips
Time to Grow: 50-60 days
How to Grow: Turnips prefer cooler temperatures and well-drained soil. Plant turnip seeds directly into the ground, spacing them about 3 inches apart in rows. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize lightly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Create turnip stamp art. Cut a turnip in half and carve fun shapes or designs into the flesh. Dip the cut side into non-toxic paint and stamp onto paper or fabric.
24. Kohlrabi
Time to Grow: 50-60 days
How to Grow: Kohlrabi thrives in cool weather and well-drained soil. Plant kohlrabi seeds or seedlings directly into the ground, spacing them about 6 inches apart in rows. Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly.
Fun Learning Extension Activity: Turn kohlrabi into "kohlrabi monsters." Let your kids use various vegetables and fruits to create imaginative creatures, with kohlrabi serving as the body or head.
Take Away
By involving your children in the gardening process and incorporating fun learning extension activities, you not only foster a love for nature but also teach valuable lessons about patience, responsibility, and the importance of healthy eating. So, grab your gardening gloves, gather your little helpers, and let the spring gardening adventures begin!
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