Last spring, we introduced our children to gardening. We see so many children struggling with obesity, and we want our children to develop healthy eating habits. My husband thankfully, has a very green thumb. Using Growums, our children planted seeds that they tended to and cared for inside until it was warm enough to transfer them outside. Here they took turns nurturing the plants that eventually gave them a harvest. It is still the talk at dinner.
Growums are unique in several ways. First, they have themed garden kits. Each kit allows learning to be fun and exciting with an exciting online experience to grow seeds into vegetables and herbs. My kiddos love the animated cast! I loved that my kiddos were developing an appreciation for Mother Earth and a little about healthy eating habits.
The Growum Kits are available in Herb Garden, Pizza Garden, Salad Garden, Stir-fry Garden, Taco Garden, and Ratatouille Garden. Every garden kit has peat pellets that make planting and growing nearly fool-proof.
Our Growum kit was the Ratatouille. The first thing that came to mind was the movie. When we told them, they would be growing all the things Ratatouille would use to make his famous dish. They loved that.
The website offers an animated, step-by-step series of mini videos, updated every ten days showing what to expect and sharing how to care for the seedlings. Tomicio the Tomato, Frank Cilantro, Belle Peppa, Ice Berg the Lettuce Wrapper, and Elvis Parsley are adorable and even make me giggle.
My children were fascinated by how the tiniest seed, when cared for, created something familiar–like tomatoes and zucchini. Every day they checked the progress and talked about how it had changed–sometimes I think their imaginations exaggerated! Finally, one day, Dad took them to the garden, and it was time to cut the first zucchini. It was an amazing celebration. A victory, to be certain!
Growums are available nationwide at independent garden centers and online. They’re the perfect fundraiser–for every Growums garden kit purchased through a fund-raiser, a generous portion goes back to the school or organization, PLUS the company donates a portion of the proceeds to feed needy children.
My children are already asking when they can plant seeds again for next year’s harvest! They’ve discovered what a vine-ripened tomato tastes like, how quickly zucchini grow, and sometimes discovered a frost comes early and wipes out the eggplant.
I’m thankful for the Growums program because it gave my children a sense of ownership. It gave them responsibility. It also gave them a reward for their labor. They learned they can grow their own food, eat healthily and share with others. They learned they like playing in the dirt and learning about how things grow. It also gave them some quality time together and with their dad–sharing something he loves.
Regardless of the season, Growums would make a great stocking stuffer–Spring will be just around the corner.
Growums truly was one of the most rewarding parts of our summer. We’re looking forward to doing it again!