What should you grow with your child?

Quick to grow, or time to spare for beautiful results. Take the test to find your perfect plant match and get growing with your little.

Take the quiz and find out which plant would suit you and your child, depending on how much space you have, how quickly you'd like to see results, and which plants your child would prefer to grow. The key is to engage your child in all aspects of the growing process.

New to gardening?Check out our tips and tricks on getting your garden started with small children.

Encouraging your child to spend time in nature is brilliant for their well-being and development. Gardening is a fun, physical way to teach your child the art of patience from an early age. Plants provide sensory development, allowing your child to look, hear, touch, smell and/or taste the natural world (with your supervision, of course). Gardening can help you child develop fine motor skills, creativity and independence. Learn more about what children can learn from looking after plants with CBeebies Parenting.

Springtime things to do: Seasonal activity ideas for babies and toddlers.

CBeebies gardening tips: Help your child learn more about nature whilst having fun.

Get up close with nature: Teaching your child to stop and pay attention to the details in a garden.

Did you know it’s National Gardening Week in the UK between Monday 27 April to Sunday 3 May 2026. National Gardening Week is all about building and embracing curiosity in the garden, and it’s so much fun to do that with your little person by your side. Slow down, take notice, think about colours, textures and life springing all around you. It’s the perfect time to get outdoors with your little one and take time to enjoy nature and really notice the green spaces around you.

Marigolds are a brilliant flower to grow for aspiring botanists and the butterflies love them too. Seedlings can grow quickly 4-10 days and flowers can appear in 8-10 weeks.

Sunflowers are a special plant. They follow the sun across the sky with their heads to get every last ray. They grow incredibly tall and are often used in competitions at nurseries and schools. Sunflowers are fast-growing, with seedlings growing quickly, sometimes within 7-10 days. Some varieties will then see flowers from 11-18 weeks.

Cress is an easy and fast-growing plant - perfect for younger children. Your little ones will have a bountiful harvest within 7-14 days of planting the seeds.

Basil plants are a great way introduce your child to harvesting food, because basil leaves smell like pizza. Yum! You'll see shoots after 5 weeks.

Green and crisp lettuce leaves are a salad staple. Why not grow your own on a windowsill at home? Water regularly, and in 2-3 weeks you'll have little sprouts!

Tomatoes are a brilliant crop to grow with your child, as they are very versatile and can be used in lots of recipes. Start them inside in small pots with plenty of water, and you'll see sprouts within 10 days if you keep them warm.

Peas are a favourite with little ones as they make the perfect snack for munching on while they harvest the pods. You should see sprouts appearing within 7 to 14 days. A top tip is to soak the seeds in water for 12-24 hours before planting, as this can speed up the whole process. They need plenty of water and a trellis to stabilise the stems. Harvest 60 - 70 days after planting and pick daily to encourage more peas to grow.

Potatoes are easy to plant and harvest, but take some time to grow. You'll need more space than a windowsill, so a large plant pot or garden bed outdoors is best. Each seed potato can produce up to 10 more potatoes. Cover with soil and water well. They will take 10 - 20 weeks to grow, depending on the type of potato.

Pumpkins are a bigger project, perhaps better suited to older children. They will need to use their patience and commit to watering the plants and preventing pests from eating the pumpkins in the garden. Keep the fruit on the vine for as long as possible, but harvest before the first frost of autumn, about 4 months.

A childhood favourite, strawberries are a wonderful way to introduce your child to growing fruit in the summer. You'll need pots or a garden bed and plenty of space, as strawberries are trailing plants and will attempt to migrate to find more soil. Strawberries can be tricky to grow from seeds, so skip ahead to planting them from runners or nursery plants.They will begin to ripen on the plant after 2 months, so harvest as soon as they are completely red and firm. Delicious!

Find spring fun and Easter activities on CBeebies.

Check out the CBeebies spring collection or explore programmes with a focus on exploringnature andgrowing plants with children.

What's in Your Plant Pot?: Discover and explore some incredible plants grown and cared for by awesome people across the UK.

I Can Grow It: Follow Aaron Roach Bridgeman and his young “Garden Buds” as they uncover the magic of nature in a colourful inner‑city garden.

Down on the Farm: Explore the outdoor world of farming and the countryside with JB and Storm from Down on the Farm.

Ranger Hamza's Eco Quest: Join Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers on an eco quest.

Mr Bloom's Nursery: Explore Mr Bloom's allotment with games and songs.