While it’s still fresh in your mind, grab a piece of paper and talk together about what grew well, not so well, pay special attention to what you’d like to try next year – and make a list. This list will come in very handy next spring when you are deciding which seeds you need.
Helping kids plan ahead teaches them skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Planning is one of the executive function skills that you can teach with this and many other garden related activities. These skills help kids grow! Here’s a great link for tips on growing executive function skills in all ages from one of my favorite sites Harvard Center on the Developing Child. You can even make your list more fun, and toddlers and preschoolers could draw or learn the name of a plant. An older child could write up the list, you could even add some art or cut up pictures from a seed catalog and make a collage of what you want to grow next year. When you help them plan, you grow executive function — but what’s really important is that you’re spending time together.