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Growing Peas with Kids in the Garden

Discover how easy it is to grow Peas with kids in your garden.  Plus use our garden journal to expand your child’s learning in the garden.

Our household loves gardening. I am often asked what is our favorite vegetable to grow.  Without a doubt, I would say, snow peas.

Growing Peas with Kids

Snow peas are one of my favorite plants to grow in both our home and school garden.  Mostly because they are so easy to grow.  Peas prefer cooler weather and can be planted after the danger of frost is over.  I till my soil by hand with a shovel and make finger indents about an inch deep and two inches apart from each other.  Then, I let the kids put one pea in each hole.  We cover with soil, water, and wait.  Soon, these little “flags” appear.

After several weeks, the plants get bigger and blossoms form.  Within days each blossom becomes a pea.

And as the peas get bigger, we pick and eat them.  If you have a class of 18 children, this is one vegetable that everyone can have a chance to harvest and eat on the same day.  It won’t be a whole serving of vegetables, but will at least let the children sample the fruits of their labor. If you have a home garden, we planted a 4 foot row of peas and both children have been eating a small handful every day for snacks.

We have even gone out to pick them early in the morning to pack them in my 5 year old’s lunch boxes.  My 2 year old runs to the garden and says, “morning peas!” and then proceeds to rip the peas off the plants and stuff them in his mouth as fast as possible before his big sister gets to them.  I can’t say I mind, although we are working on taking them off a little bit more gentle for the safety of the plants!

Helpful tips for growing peas

I used to have trouble growing peas until I called my mom (who has an amazing garden in MN). She asked, “How often are you watering them?”  I had just been watering them the 2-3 times a week like my other vegetables, but I learned that peas like water!  I now water my peas once, even twice a day and since I started this practice last year, my peas have been fantastic!  The other piece of advice was to plant them early in the season as they do not like extreme heat!
Yeah – my kids really go crazy for peas out of the garden!!!

Garden Journal for Kids


Want to extend your learning even further? 
    • Count your harvest and compare the amount to the day before
    • Record what you have harvested in your gardening journal.  Here is one I have created for my kids and is available for purchase at my Teachers’ Notebook store. It is 20 pages at only $3.00, available for instant download!
  • Measure your pea pods – see who can find the longest!
  • Sing a song or fingerplay about peas
  • Write a story about growing peas
  • Read a story about peas!
Five Fat Peas
Author Unknown Shared at Preschool Rainbow
Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed
(children hold hand in a fist)
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest.
(put thumb and fingers up one by one)
They grew and grew
(raise hand in the air very slowly)
And did not stop,
Until one day
The pod went POP!
(children clap hands together)

Additional Information about Peas

How to grow peas by Heirloom Organics.
Another how to from USA Gardener.
Best varieties for different places.

Crafting Links

Happy Gardening!
Click for more Gardening with Kids Ideas

Growing Texas 40 Peas

Looking for more gardening with peas?
 

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Comments

  1. Do you know how hot peas like it? I am wondering if we have missed the season to plant them since it is already reaching the 80's mid day here in Central TX. I bet they would do well in the Fall here.

    Reply

  2. I try to plant a short row every few weeks for about a month. My last batch (planted 2 weeks ago, is not doing as well because we are in the 80's) Snow peas really like the cool crisp nights and do NOT like the hot sunny days. Cow peas – like Texas 40 can be planted in the hot weather!

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  8. They are one of my favorite veggies to grow with kids! The good news, is that if you are in some hotter zones, you may be able to sneak a crop in this fall! Your local extension office or Feed-n-seed store should have a planting guide with dates for your area! Websites like this http://sproutrobot.com can give you an idea of what to plant in your are right now =)

    Reply

  10. Amanda, I love your gardening tips- you know I had the same trouble with underwatering my peas, when I figured that out my peas started growing wonderfully! We just barely planted ours last week- can't wait to see them start popping up!

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  11. My kids love it too – although we planted such a small patch that most of them were eaten raw =) I planted a row of cow peas last week!

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  12. Isn't that first stage exciting? Unfortunately, we are nearing the end of our harvesting season due to the warm weather, but we will hopefully get another crop in the fall. I am hoping my tomatoes are ready soon to make up for the pea loss! They started blossoming last week!

    Reply

  13. I love this post! It looks like you had great success with your peas. My grandfather used to grow these and they were one of my favorites in his garden. I can remember eating them straight out of the pod! Great pictures too.

    Reply

  14. We haven't tried growing peas but we definitely will now! We do grow runner beans so that the plants make a living teepee for the kids to hide in. I wonder if pea plants grow as tall?

    Reply

  15. They are not quite as tall and a little more fragile – We are going to try runner beans this year and hopefully make a hut for the kids too!

    Reply

  16. We have never tried peas in the garden – maybe we will this year. Great resources and cute pics! Thanks for sharing at the Discover & Explore linky!

    Reply

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