Don't forget - The veggies you and your kids grow over the summer may be entered in the Chestermere Country Fair Red Ribbon Competition! There are ribbons and cash prizes available.
Starting a family garden has loads of benefits. There’s the unbeatable freshness and health perks of eating veggies right from your yard. But more than that, it’s a fun family project, from the initial planning stages to enjoying the fruits (and veggies!) of your labour. We started our own garden a few years ago and nothing makes me happier than seeing the kids picking veggies and eating them right from our garden!
I love having my kids help me in the garden. It's a practical way for kids to learn about responsibility, nature, and science. Observing a plant's lifecycle — especially when it transforms from a tiny seed into something edible — is pretty cool and teaches kids a deeper respect for the environment. Plus, it’s a clever strategy to encourage outdoor time, moving them away from screens and into the sunshine. Read more about the benefits of gardening with kids.
 Kara Murphy | Macaroni KID |
Making markers for our garden.
Many of the veggies mentioned here can thrive in containers or in the ground, making gardening more accessible, even if you’re not up for digging a big plot in your yard.
Introducing a themed garden idea is a great way to kickstart your family's gardening journey, and get a child excited about gardening. Here are three kid-friendly themed garden ideas:
 Katerina Homes | Canva |
Homemade pizza sauce and toppings are so yummy.
1. Pizza Garden
Turn mealtime into an exciting farm-to-table experience with a garden that grows all you need for the perfect family pizza night.
- Tomatoes: Easy to grow and fun to pick, tomatoes are a pizza staple for sauces and toppings.
- Bell Peppers: Add a splash of colour and sweet flavour.
- Onions: Hardy plants that offer a lesson in underground growth.
- Garlic: Simple to cultivate and great for teaching about bulb plants.
- Herbs (Basil, Oregano, Thyme): Fast-growing and aromatic, these herbs introduce kids to a variety of flavours.
2. Salsa Garden
Create a zesty garden where kids can harvest ingredients for homemade salsa, learning about the different tastes and uses of each vegetable.
- Tomatoes: The base of any good salsa, tomatoes are versatile and provide a big harvest. Get a few varieties in different sizes!
- Peppers (think jalapeños, bell, habaneros): Offers a lesson in the variety of spice and heat, plus they grow in fun shapes and colours.
- Onions: Show the diversity of uses in cooking, from fresh to grilled.
- Cilantro: A fast grower, cilantro teaches about leafy herbs and their flavours.
 Kara Murphy | Macaroni KID |
Some of the veggies from our garden last year.
3. Salad Garden
Encourage healthy eating habits with a garden where kids can pick ingredients for their own salads, seeing — and tasting — firsthand how delicious growing your own vegetables can be.
- Lettuce & Spinach: Quick to sprout and harvest, these leafy greens are the backbone of almost all salads.
- Cucumbers: Fascinating for kids to watch grow, especially when they can pick and eat them fresh.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Sweet and bite-sized, perfect for little hands to pick.
- Radishes: Offer a quick reward, as they're one of the fastest-growing vegetables.
- Carrots: Fun to pull from the ground, providing a surprise reveal of their size and shape.
This growing season create lasting memories and learning experiences for your children with a garden. Whether it’s a few pots on a patio or a larger plot in the yard, what matters most is the journey of growing, harvesting, cooking, and eating together. Happy growing!
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Macaroni KID Chestermere is a free local event and activities calendar, weekly e-newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in the Chestermere, Langdon, Indus and surrounding rural areas. We gather all kinds of local family events and activities each week and add useful information about classes, family-focused local businesses, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more. | ||
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Are we missing something? Please use our Submit an Event form to send us all the details! If you have original recipes, crafts, or family fall fun ideas that you would like to share with our Macaroni KID community, please email kimmcrae@macaronikid.com. Be sure to include a poster or image if you've got one!
