With spring in full bloom, it’s a wonderful opportunity to teach young ones about nature and the cycle from seedling to growing flowers and plants. Here are a number of charming books that teach some of the beginning concepts of gardening. Appropriate for the preschool years through kindergarten, these delightful books are bound to inspire some home gardening projects and budding green thumbs!
Planting a Rainbow This brightly illustrated book is one of my children’s favorite stories. It teaches the basic concepts of planting seeds, bulbs, and plants. The fun part is the walk through all the colors of the rainbow, with various plants and flowers as examples of those colors.
Planting the Wild Garden Told in more of a story format, this book starts with characters planting seeds. However, those seeds begin to get dispersed, and we’re treated to explanations on how various agents of nature, including wind, rain, and animals, take those seeds into new and unexpected places.
Project Garden Here’s a hands-on guide for gardening with year-round options for all the different types of plants, flowers, and more that can be nurtured month-by-month. Written by a certified Master Gardener, it can be a great kick-start to some fun-filled gardening projects with your kids.
Oh Say Can You Seed Learning about plants and concepts like photosynthesis doesn’t have to be daunting – especially when your guide is the Cat in the Hat, with assistants Thing 1 and Thing 2! Going about it as only Dr. Seuss can, Oh Say Can You Seed gives a whimsical approach to learning about plants and pollination.
The Tiny Seed Fans of Eric Carle’s chunky and colorful art style will love this nature inspired gem which walks you through the lifecycle of a flower from tiny seed. Included with the book is an actual seed packet that’s plantable so your child can see the story of the book with their own eyes.
How to Grow a Seed This book follows the path of an acorn that turns into a mighty oak tree. Because of the young ages that the book targets, it provides simple explanations of scientific concepts and eases the child in with beautiful watercolor illustrations.
Zinnia’s Flower Garden Zinnia, with help from dog and cat, nurtures her plants and watches them grow. Helping with the educational content, around the borders of the pages are actual pictures of flowers and seeds, as well as other identification of nature such as clouds and insects.
Growing Vegetable Soup This hearty book embodies the concept of “farm to table” (or in this case, soup pot) in a way that’s easily understood for pre-schoolers. The whole process is discussed, from planting the seeds and growing the plants, to picking the vegetables and cooking them.
One Bean This easy-to-understand book zooms in and just focuses its attention on one single bean. Here, we’re treated to the narrative of one bean being planted and watched, through its growth cycle, until it’s ready to be eaten.
A Tree Is a Plant Here’s a wondrous book about trees, explaining that like the smaller plants and flowers that children see, a tree is also a plant – just a really big one. This book looks at the tree’s lifecycle through the four seasons for an overall view.
Also see 10 Beginner Gardening Tools For Kids.
Agnes Hsu is a mom of three and has been inspiring parents and kids to get creative with easy activities and family friendly recipes for over 10 years. She shares her love for creative play and kids food to her 2MM+ followers online. Agnes' commitment to playful learning and kindness has not only raised funds for charity but also earned features in prestigious nationwide publications.