Lettuce, go! (Or maybe that should be “let us go!”)

Kids driving you crazy? You need fresh produce but you’re dreading a trip to the grocery store? You’re facing a stay-at-home-order for, well, ever? Have I got the solution for you. Get those kids outside and grow your own lettuce! It’s easy and as a bonus, it ends with a party! Here we go..

For supplies, you can get fancy and buy a raised bed (the plastic elevated ones by Garden Wizard are my favorites) but any old flowerpot will do. Add soil or if using what is already there, make sure the area hasn’t been exposed to pesticides and weed carefully. For seeds, save yourself a trip to the hardware store and order them from an online retailer such as Burpee, which was fully stocked last time I checked. 

Start out asking your kids the difference between soil and dirt. They are not the same thing! Soil is made up of organic materials that support living things and covers much of the earth. Dirt happens when little bits of soil become separated and travel places (often my front hall) on shoes or clothing. 

Once you have the soil ready and seeds in hand, have your kids make parallel lines (they pick which direction to go in) with their finger, as deep as the length from the tip of their finger to their first knuckle. Put some seeds in one of their hands and show them how to take the other hand and take a pinch of seeds and sprinkle them into the troughs they have made. This is not an exact science and that is okay.

Once the seeds are in place they can “put them to bed” by gently covering them with soil. Singing to your seeds at this point is highly encouraged. 

Watering is next. I like reusing 2-liter bottles with nail holes in the cap for watering. Or if you prefer, my favorite premade bottle top waterers are from Kinsman Company although their shipping times are currently longer than normal. Water until the soil is saturated. You can encourage your kiddos to label their garden bed using popsicle sticks and markers. They should water every day unless it has rained in the last day or two (in which case, I am so sorry..).

You can incorporate math (chart the growth of the seedlings), art (draw the garden each week), and more (create a garden journal where they record the weather and growth of the plants each day or week). After about three weeks or so you should have seedlings and it’s time to thin the plants. If there are a bunch of plants crowded together, grab one sprout at a time and pull straight up. Each plant should have at least an inch around it. For younger kids who might not want to sacrifice their baby seedlings just let them know that the plants won’t grow well if they have to compete for sun, water, and soil. 

After about 6 weeks, it’s party time!  Salad party time, that is.  Have your child carefully rip off the leaves one at a time using their hands or kid scissors, but leave the roots in the ground. Wash the lettuce and add your favorite toppings. Ranch dressing is always a popular choice.

It’s a time-consuming way to get your kids to eat their vegetables, but I swear it works.. The plants will regrow and your “salad days” should last for months.