Starting seeds indoors is simple with these few tips and tricks. See how we planted a Mexican salsa garden indoors with kids.
Gardening with kids is one of my favorite Spring activities to do at home. Spring is a season of rebirth and new growth, and starting seeds indoors while it’s still a little chilly out only to plant our seedlings as it warms is a beautiful parallel to the season.
This year we are planting a Mexican salsa garden to make fresh salsa all summer long.
Starting Seeds Indoors with Kids
We live in an area of the United States where it is cold out until mid-May or so. If we wait to plant our garden until May or June, we spend a lot of the summer cultivating seedlings rather than enjoying our crops.
So for us, starting seeds indoors in March and April to transplant in our garden in May works well. There are many fun ways to start seeds indoors with kids, but choosing great seeds is the first step!
A Mexican Salsa Garden with True Leaf Market
Growing a themed garden is a really fun way to keep kids involved and looking forward to planting their garden, and using their crops in recipes to make at home.
When children garden, they practice fine and gross motor skills such as picking and digging. Additionally, they develop and appreciation and sense of gratitude for where food comes from.
This year we are planting a Mexican salsa garden with the True Leaf Market Mexican Salsa Seed Starter Kit. The set includes high quality, non GMO seeds, with plenty of seeds in each packet to really get our indoor garden started.
The seeds that we planted for our salsa garden included:
- Hamson Tomatoes
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Onion
- Jalapeno
- Chives
- Cilantro (Coriander)
To start seeds indoors with kids:
When starting seeds indoors with kids, using a shallow container helps to easily track the progress of the seed growth and keep the moisture of the soil correct.
Using a very lightweight soil helps the soil drain easily stay aerated. This is helpful for the beginning growth of the seed. The True Leaf Market Mexican Salsa Seed Starter Kit comes with small soil discs that expand when wet for planting. This is a great and easy way to get soil perfect for starting seeds indoors.
Once the seeds are planted, it’s important to keep the soil moist. With my children, we keep a spray bottle nearby to water the plants, as children might have a difficult time using a stream of water that may disrupt the new growth. It you have a cover for you indoor garden, and keep the seedlings in a warm, well-lit area, they will stay moist easily.
Planting a Mexican Salsa Garden
With our True Leaf Market garden seeds, planting a salsa garden is so simple!
After tasting some salsa, I asked my children what flavors they tasted, and what seeds they might need to plant in their own garden to be able to make salsa.
They were able to identify a tomato and pepper base, and knew that herbs were included, but weren’t sure exactly which ones. When we opened our kit, they were happy to learn that they were planting cilantro and chives as well as onions for their salsa!
They enjoyed growing the soil discs, poking a hole in the dirt, and carefully placing their seeds into the holes.
I think of observing seeds as we really great practice in paying attention to detail, similar to reading comprehension!
We discussed the shape and color of the seeds, as well as the hardiness and smell. After observing and discussing the seeds, the children made guesses as to what the plants would look like when grown.
This is always a fun experiment and they are curious to see how their predictions compared with reality!
We hope you are inspired to start seeds indoors with your own children, and might even try to plant your own salsa garden. Enjoy!
More fun Garden Activities for Kids
- Printable Summer Garden Scavenger Hunt for Kids
- 15 Books About Gardens for Kindergarteners
- Flower Garden Soap Foam Sensory Play
- Garden Board Game Free Printable
- 20+ Ways to Garden with Kids
- Garden Pretend Play with Printable Vegetable Puppets
- Repurposing Egg Cartons for Indoor Garden Starters
- Edible Garden Sensory Bin
- Garden Sensory Bin for Outdoor or Indoor Play
- Why You Should Plant a Garden with Your Kids
*This is a sponsored post with True Leaf Market. All opinions expressed are my own.
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