Quick Pickle Your Garden

We love cooking garden-grown food with kids! Not only can cooking encourage kids to try something new, it also allows them to have ownership of what they make. Moreover, there are no limits when it comes to cooking or gardening - just endless possibilities. Each meal becomes even more fun when you can make the best with what you have, get creative in the process, and cultivate the sense of satisfaction that comes from preparing something from seed to plate and savoring what you create! 

We are excited to share a fun recipe AND a related GIVEAWAY!

A graphic with images and words. Not all the words are legible, but Best Plants for Pickling, Garden Tips, and Pickle Recipe are.Cooking Garden Activity Pack

In partnership with Smart Pot, KidsGardening is sharing a three-part Garden Activity Pack series filled with creative ways for using Smart Pot grow bags in your garden. Our first is this Cooking Garden Activity Pack with a fun activity on how to Quick Pickle Your Garden!

This downloadable activity includes:

  • The best pickling plants to grow 
  • How to plant and maintain your Smart Pot gardens
  • A tasty and simple quick pickle recipe

Containers are perfect for gardening with kids because they: 

  • Allow you to garden anywhere there is sun
  • Can be moved as the seasons and weather changes
  • Are great for urban areas, patios, or balconies 
  • Are low to the ground and be accessed from all sides

Why should you pickle your garden harvest?

  • Pickling preserves the freshness of vegetables and extends their shelf life. 
  • It is a great way to use any excess of produce and continue to enjoy it throughout times when your garden isn’t producing. 
  • It’s easy - all you need are vegetables and a few ingredients for the brine. 
  • You can get creative with flavors and experiment with spices and herbs that suit your palate.
  • Making homemade pickles from scratch is a kid-friendly cooking activity and so much fun! 

GIVEAWAY: Win a 1-gallon KidsGardening Smart Pot!

In partnership with Smart Pot, KidsGardening is giving away TEN Smart Pots! Enter below for a chance to win! This giveaway is open until Friday, November 19 at 9am EST. Winners will be contacted directly via email.

Upcoming Garden Activity Packs from KidsGardening:

  • Science - February 2022: Use your Smart Pot for a fun experiment using the scientific method.
  • Art - April 2022: Grow plants in your Smart Pot that you can use to create colorful art.

Why are Smart Pots so smart? 

Unlike other types of pots, Smart Pots allow your plants to have better root aeration, water drainage, and temperature regulation. 

Read this blog on 4 Proven Advantages of Fabric Pots for Roots

Discovering Through Hydroponics

Red, white, and blue lights glowing above green plants.

KidsGardening is excited to share the launch of a new educator guide - Discovering Through Hydroponics developed in partnership with our amazing partners The National Farm to School Network and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation as part of the GroMoreGood Initiative.

The Discovering Hydroponics cover, which has the words "Discovering Hydroponics" and a large water droplet with a magnifying glass and tiny plant. The logos for KidsGardening, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, and National Farm to School Network are on the bottom.
Discovering Through Hydroponics is recommended for students in grades K-2.

Discovering Through Hydroponics is a lesson and resource guide for K-2nd grade educators who are interesting in using hydroponic garden systems as a way to teach plant fundamentals. With a focus on hands-on activities the lessons are designed to encourage student-led discovery.

Why use hydroponic gardens with young children? Here are just a few reasons we have observed:

  • Growing plants in hydroponic systems with young children (rather than exclusively through more traditional soil-based methods) allows them to understand plant needs at a deeper level. They discover the amazing skill of our green friends to adapt to different growing conditions.
  • It gives them the opportunity to engage in science, technology, engineering design, and math through the practical lens of fulfilling the essential job of growing food.
  • Hydroponic growing systems are actively being explored as a solution for growing fresh fruits and vegetables in densely populated urban areas, in water insecure deserts, and even as a way to help increase home food production. This experience gives them a chance to think about food system challenges and solutions.
  • Hydroponic gardens can be installed in the classroom and provide a tool for observing plant growth closely and regularly.
  • Kids think it is fun! Hydroponics is new for many and their excitement and motivation inspires learning (Adults think it is fun too! It is new for a lot of them also).

Please note, the guide does not try to place value on one type of growing method over another (hydroponic vs. soil-based growing techniques), but rather tries to engage students in the process of evaluating the pros and cons of different growing systems and the importance of thinking outside the box when looking to secure a sustainable food system. The goal is to convey that the mission to find ways to grow food most efficiently in terms of natural resources and space available — while also providing access to bountiful, healthy fresh foods to all people, regardless of where they live — is absolutely critical for all of us and our food system.

This guide joins our previous guide, Exploring Hydroponics that was written to support 3rd-5th grade educators. Both are available electronically for FREE from KidsGardening and National Farm to School Network. We sincerely hope you will enjoy using this guide as much as we enjoyed writing it!