Gardening with kids?

I'm hoping this post can be another informative one, this time I hope to discuss gardening with kids and how it can be beneficial.
According to the better health channel website, "Gardening is great for children. Kids in the garden learn new skills and have fun, especially when they grow an edible garden. Children can learn about science, nature and the environment from growing their own food" (2011). So what to grow?
As mentioned above, kids can especially benefit from growing there own fruits and vegies, so it’s probably a good idea to invest in some easy-to-grow seedlings. Consider the following...

• Loose leaf lettuce - They are easy to grow and quick to reach maturity. Plant in the early spring and near a tomato bush or similar to provide some shade from the sun in the hotter months
• Radishes - Fantastic because they can grow just about any time of year (except the cooler winter months) and are extremely fast to mature. plant in a row to create divisions and thin out when necessary to prevent crowding
• Onions - Planting miniature onions can prove an easy exercise as they require little maintenance aside from a little weeding. They are easy to handle and grow fast when grown with radishes
• Pumpkin - although not as easy as some other vegies, pumpkins are extremely interesting to children because of there size and how they grow. Just ensure you grow them in a relatively warm place with minimal wind well after winter and ensure adequate space between plants. When seedlings first appear protect from slugs with a jam jar.
• Cherry tomatoes - Because of there sweet taste. As long as there is a support for the plant and it is regularly watered and pruned, tomatoes are relatively easy to grow. Plant in spring.