Gardening with Kids All Year Round: What to Grow Each Season

Gardening with kids doesn’t have to stop when the seasons change. In fact, growing with the rhythm of the year helps children understand nature, build patience, and enjoy fresh food all year long. Whether you’re gardening at school, home, or in the community, here’s a seasonal guide on what to grow and how to keep little hands busy every month.

🌱 Spring – Planting and New Beginnings

Spring is the perfect time to get started. As the weather warms, children can plant fast-growing seeds like peas, salad leaves, sunflowers, and carrots. It’s a season of excitement as everything begins to sprout. Try growing in pots, raised beds, or even old containers.

Spring gardening tip for kids: Make seed markers from lolly sticks or decorate plant pots with paint pens.

🌞 Summer – Growing Strong and Harvesting

By summer, your plants are growing tall, and children can start harvesting strawberries, tomatoes, and courgettes. It’s a great time for watering, weeding, and learning how plants change and produce food.

Summer gardening idea: Start a sunflower competition—who can grow the tallest?

🍂 Autumn – Harvest and Prepare for Next Year

Autumn brings harvest festivals and the chance to plant hardy crops like garlic, onions, and winter lettuce. It’s also time to tidy up, compost old plants, and collect seeds.

Autumn activity: Create nature art with fallen leaves or make bug hotels for overwintering insects.

❄️ Winter – Planning and Indoor Growing

Gardening doesn’t stop in winter! Indoors, kids can grow herbs like basil and cress on windowsills. It’s also a great time to plan next year’s garden and learn about plant lifecycles.

Winter project: Make recycled seed pots or decorate plant labels for spring.

Gardening with children all year round keeps them connected to nature, teaches valuable life skills, and encourages healthy eating habits. Every season brings something new to explore—so dig in and grow together, whatever the weather!