[jellybean]

Hi there

I am hoping to dig over a bit of our allotment for our children this year, has anyone got any ideas of some good & easy things to grow (they are aged 5 & 7)

thanks in advance
JBxxx

[compostqueen]

quick stuff like radishes. Children can sow the bigger seeds too such as beans, courgettes, cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, peas and they'll get quick germination (usually   )  Salad leaf mixes or cress are a good idea too.  Don't forget flowers. Calendula are easy to grow, make the lotty or garden look lovely and attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies. Look lovely interplanted with red cabbages    Nasturtiums and escholzias are very pretty flowers and again dead easy to grow. There are some beautiful colours too. Sunflowers are great for children to grow too - tallest sunflower compy  

[Pompey Spud]

My 2 boys are 8 & 6.

We're making a small bed for them to slad stuff.

They've just planted out 'Russian Giant' Sunflowers from their pots. We're having a competition for the highest. Keeps them going.

[owein]

I find that while my two boys 4 and 6 enjoy planting they soon get bored.

However a patch of bare soil with some toy cars and diggers keeps them occupied for hours. They now have a pieceof the polytunnel to themselves which is now full of tracks, ramps and tunnels! it also stops them digging up other parts of the veg patch.

So they play away while I (in theory) happily dig - they still join in with a lot of the planting - but when they feel like it.