Peas are a great veggie to grow with children. They grow quickly, don’t need much attention, and love to crawl as they grow which is fun to watch. These teepees are super easy to make and are a very simple way to introduce the concept of trellising both outdoors or in large containers.
Time: 10 minutes.
Materials:
- Nutrient-rich soil in the ground or in a large container
- 3 large bamboo or wooden sticks that are the same size
- Thin rope or string
- 12-15 pea seeds
Adult Prep: Just help little fingers tie knots!
Kids’ Activity:
- Turn the soil to loosen it where you are going to plant or fill the large container with soil.
- Place each of the 3 sticks into the soil. Put them more or less around the perimeter of your planting area. Angle the tops of the sticks toward one another so they come together to form a cone or teepee shape. Tie the sticks together at the top with string.
- Press 4-5 pea seeds into the soil around the base of each stick.
- Water your peas twice a week. As the peas grow, guide them gently up the each stick so they will grow up the teepee (or trellis) and produce a lot of peas to pick and eat!
– Stacey Antine, MS, RD, author, Appetite for Life, founder, HealthBarn USA, co-host, Family Food Expert Internet Radio Show, and recognized as top 10 dietitians nationally by Today’s Dietitian magazine for her work with HealthBarn USA.
A healthy lifestyle isn’t all about food: keeping kids active and fostering their creativity is essential for healthy development, too! In this blog, I’ll be sharing weekly activity ideas for families to do together.
