Growing Together: Open Forum

 Hi, we are new to this community and super excited to be a part of it! My husband and I work from home and plan on homeschooling our toddler, who is 18 months old, when it comes time. 

 I have bought around 20 Dahlia tubers and seeds to start a flower farm this year. I plan on buying more vegetable seeds so he can learn the process of farming and self-sufficiency. We are into Montessori traditions and want our toddler to be involved with gardening. Any recommendations to help with an enjoyable experience? 

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Savanna
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Hi Savanna,

I work with 2 y.o.'s here in L.A. I think it is important to have a place where they can dig in the soil and not disturb anything you want to grow. So I would assign one area just for that. For your dahlias and flower seeds, I would put them in a raised bed or other protracted area because toddlers like to pull plants out of the ground.

Toddlers love watering. If you can find tiny watering cans that is best. Regular adult ones are too heavy. I found some little plastic green ones that are a perfect size for tiny

 hands. You can let them fill up at a faucet or fill a big bucket with water and let them dip it in to fill up.

Once I made a fake garden in a sensory table. Little plastic pots, fake flowers, shovels and potting soil. They pretended to plant stuff in there.

Magnifying glasses, bug catchers and toy binoculars are good too.

Good luck!

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Nina Moench
DIG Childhood Center
LOS ANGELES CA
4242899619
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