How does your garden grow? With help from the kids, we hope! Planting vegetables has been shown to help ward off picky eating and give kids an appreciation for nature. “To me, working in the garden has always meant going outside and having a blast,” explains 12-year-old Emma Biggs. Her dad, Steve, is a horticulturist.

Here, their ideas for getting your crew in on the action too:

Choose a theme

For an easy way to get started, group your plants around something your family already enjoys. You can do a mini garden for snack-size picnic foods. Or choose a recipe and plant all the fixings. Favorite-color gardens are also fun.

Try something quirky

Go for anything with a weird color, shape, or size, such as white carrots or Mexican sour gherkins.

Consider a project

Build tepees out of climbing bean plants, or bring in a few bales of hay that kids can use as giant blocks. Some plants can even double as art supplies.