8 Child-Friendly Flowers that Kids Can Grow in Containers

Gardening with children is a fantastic way to get them engaged with nature, but there are lots of difficult, poisonous, or skin-irritating plant varieties out there which aren’t ideal for mini gardeners.

Some garden flowers are fussy about the nutrition, light, and care that they receive. Others have irritating sap or thorns. But not these flowers! We’ve gathered together a list of child-friendly flowers that can all be easily grown by mini gardeners and are well suited to growing in containers too.

Child-friendly flowers that kids can grow themselves

Non-toxic. Check. Easy-to-grow. Check. Most of the flowers on this list are hardy annuals, which means they’re quick to grow and pretty tolerant of varied growing conditions (ideal for mini gardeners!). But others are simply beautiful, quirky, or just really fun to grow!

1. Nasturtiums

The flowers are usually orange, yellow, or red, but you can also find varieties in shades of crimson, pink, or cream. They can handle poor soil and as a hardy annual they need minimal attention.

The entire plant is edible so you don’t need to worry about young children getting hold of them! From summer to autumn, you can have a container overflowing with bold, beautiful flowers.

2. Pot Marigolds

A traditional cottage garden flower, pot marigolds have long been a flower that parents and grandparents grew with young children. The petals are edible! And can be used in salads or rice dishes (they can make rice yellow!). They’re also often used as medicinal herbs too.

Pot marigolds are ideal for first-time gardeners. Their large, curved seeds are easy for little hands to hold, and they don’t need any special attention to grow well. Just soil, sun, and moisture!

3. Dahlia

With their impressive, showy flowers, dahlias are a beautiful addition to any garden space. They’re a great rose alternative for a small child-friendly garden as they’re free from spikes but still grow in a nice compact shape.

They also grow well in containers, which also makes it easier to lift and store the bulbs inside over winter.

Many don’t know that the entire plant is edible so it’s a safe garden plant. Dahlias tubers are a traditional ingredient in a selection of dishes from Oaxaca.

4. Cone Flowers (Echinacea)

Another popular medicinal herb to grow at home, echinacea has beautiful, daisy-like flowers that are available in lots of different colors. They’re a great flower for attracting butterflies which is a great way for children to watch different butterflies visiting for a drink of nectar.

The seeds are smaller than pot marigolds, but they can easily be sprinkled into a container or small flower bed. They grow well in poor soil and are tolerant of drought too making them ideal for container growing (and forgetful gardeners!).

5. Snapdragons

Children love opening and closing the flower ‘mouth’ of snapdragons as it looks like a mini, colorful dragon! The short flower spires are like mini hollyhocks and are ideal for container growing.

Snapdragons are usually perennial, so they’ll return next year if they’re not hit by heavy snow or frost. You can also collect the seeds from their creepy, skull-like seed heads in autumn to grow your own next spring!

6. Honesty

Not as popular as pot marigolds or snapdragons, honesty flowers are still a sweet addition to a garden. But it’s not usually the flowers that children will find interesting, but the seed heads!

The moon-shaped seed pods are papery thin and full of mini disc-shaped seeds. This is why you might know honesty by the name “silver dollar” or “the money plant”. They’re non-toxic and easy to grow, plus children love peeling open the seed heads and collecting the ‘money’ seeds!

7. Sunflower

Sunflowers are great child-friendly flowers for children as they love seeing how tall they can grow! Make sure you have a couple of bamboo canes on hand in case they get really tall and need a little support.

Dwarf sunflowers are also a nice alternative if you have a container garden.

The familiar seeds of sunflowers are easy for children to handle, and they’re usually quick to germinate and grow.

8. Zinnias

There are so many different zinnia colors and varieties to choose from, so children can have fun picking which seeds they’d like to try.

The flowers last for a long time and are great for flower arranging! Plus they’re well suited to growing in containers with a good helping of fresh compost.

Whether the family is new to gardening or you’ve just moved house and are looking to plant some cheerful blooms, these flowers are ideal for growing in a small child-friendly garden.