Our Favourite Funky Veggies to Grow with Kids
You don’t have to be a green thumb to have fun with your kids in the garden.
Gardening with kids is fun, messy and educational! Tending a garden is a great way to get outdoors and out of the house with your kids. At Little Green Thumbs, we believe that every child should have the experience of growing a plant in their youth. Not only do picky eaters get excited about vegetables, kids become aware of how their food is produced, get curious about nature, understand the cycle of the seasons and gardens are great teachers of patience.
We’ve compiled our top 5 favourite vegetables to grow with kids! These unique vegetable varieties are sure to build wonder and excitement (and they taste great too).
Rainbow Carrots
Did you know carrots were originally purple, yellow or white? The first orange carrot was developed by Dutch farmers in the 17th century! Carrots are a great veggie to grow with kids because when the time comes to harvest, it is like pulling up buried treasure. Try rainbow carrots for an extra special surprise! Find a seed blend of different colours, like the Kaleidoscope Blend or Rainbow Blend.
Purple Beans
Purple peacock pole beans have been a favourite of Little Green Thumbs gardens for many years! The vines will grow 6 feet tall and produce dark purple bean pods, light purple flowers and dark leaves. Beans will keep on producing as long as they are picked. Beans are tasty eaten raw or try cooking purple beans and watch as they turn green before your eyes!
Easter Egg Radishes
Radishes are one of the easiest and fastest growing vegetables for your garden – they mature in just 28 days! Our favourite variety is Easter Eggs because they grow into a rainbow of pastel colours. Other unique varieties to grow are White Icicle, Black Spanish or French Breakfast.
Scarlet Runner Beans
One of the most exciting aspects of growing scarlet runner beans are the seeds! The dried black and purple spotted beans bring some magic to your planting. Scarlet Runners can grow upwards of 10 feet or higher and have large clusters of brilliant scarlet flowers. Pick the pods for fresh eating when they are young and tender. As the beans mature, ensure your kids crack the beans to see the bright pink beans inside! Leave the pods on the vine to dry, and the seeds will again become spotted with black and purple.
Lemon Cucumber
Lemon cucumbers is one of our favourite fresh eating, right-off-the-vine vegetables. They are small and round and never bitter, with lime-green flesh. They are sweet and mild – great for a child’s palette. They are also very productive and tend to last longer than other cucumber varieties.
Remember to have fun! Kids are usually excited to get dirty and play outside with you. They want to dig in the dirt, splash in the water and play with bugs. Embrace your inner child and get dirty, splash in the water and play with bugs with them!
