Raising Kids Gear and Products The 9 Best Kids Gardening Tools By Maya Polton Maya Polton LinkedIn Maya has more than 15 years of experience in digital media and communications and specializes in writing about family, food, and lifestyles. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 15, 2021 Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS on May 17, 2020 Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). Learn about our editorial process Print Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Our Top Picks Best Overall: The Storybook Kids Explorer Club Kids Gardening Tools at Amazon Kids will love all of the exciting pieces in this gardening tool kit while parents will appreciate the tote bag for neat storage. Best Splurge: Grow With Me Garden Tool Set at Hearthsong.com If you're doing some big work in the backyard consider getting this bigger tool set that includes a small wheelbarrow. Best Budget: G&F Products Kids Garden Tools Set at Home Depot These small yet chunky tools are easy to use and are great for even the youngest gardeners. Best for Toddlers: Melissa & Doug Giddy Buggy Tote Set at Amazon Lightweight and toddler-sized, these plastic tools are made to encourage younger children to play. Best for Backyards: Step2 Springtime Wheelbarrow at Kohls.com This stable wheelbarrow includes a hand rake and trowel so your child is prepared for any backyard task. Best for Siblings: Livvy Lauren Personalised 3pc Gardening Set Children's Garden Tools at Etsy Names can be engraved on the wooden handle, so there’s no second guessing on which rake belongs to who. Best for Creativity: Innorock Kids Flower Planting Growing Kit at Amazon This kit includes 10 different pieces, including a planter tub and plant markers that can all be painted to your child’s liking. Best for All Ages: MaterialByMash Kids Personalized Gardening Tool Belt at Etsy Children from ages 1 to 7 will enjoy this tool belt's three different pictures and their name personalized on the front. Best Set: Born Toys Kids Gardening Set at Amazon In this set, you’ll find a hat, gloves, spray bottle, tools, and an apron with pockets to hold their items. Spending time outside is beneficial for the whole family, especially after a long winter indoors. All you need is fresh air, sunshine, and water to have a garden. If there's a lot of space in a backyard, raised beds can work well, but if you just have a balcony or a sunny window, a container garden is great too. Kids will love the steps and care involved in the growing process, so outfit them with all the tools they need to start gardening. Best Overall: The Storybook Kids Explorer Club Kids Gardening Tools View On Amazon Pros Board book included Promotes STEM development Cons Not recommended for children under 2 years old Kids will love all of the exciting pieces in this gardening tool kit while parents will appreciate the tote bag for easy and neat storage. The bundle features gloves, a water can, three gardening tools, and the book How to Grow a Garden by Brett Oliver Parson. The gardening set helps promote STEM development, healthy food habits, and pretend play. Children can learn how to grow their own food and are even given four different labels for homegrown foods, like corn and peppers. Best Splurge: Grow With Me Garden Tool Set View On Hearthsong.com Pros Wheelbarrow Four different tools Cons Costly No gloves included If your little helper is prepared to do some big work, it may be worth it to splurge on a bigger set of tools. This sturdy and well-made set is specially designed and sized to be comfortable, safe, and adjustable for growing kids. The shovel, hoe, leaf rake, and soil rake are all crafted to adjust from 33 inches to 39.5 inches long. With a child-sized, yet rugged, wheelbarrow, your kid will be ready to dig in and get gardening. The 9 Best Educational Toys for 4-Year-Olds of 2021 Best Budget: G&F Products Kids Garden Tools Set View On Home Depot Pros Budget-friendly Tote bag Cons No gloves included A bright tote and kid-sized tools are really all that kids need to start working in the dirt. They’ll feel proud of their special gardening bag and the chunky tools are easy for little hands to grab hold of. Parent reviewers are impressed with how well-made the tools are. Little gardeners will love how their tools look just like big ones and will be proud to start gardening too. Best for Toddlers: Melissa & Doug Giddy Buggy Tote Set View On Amazon View On Melissaanddoug.com Pros Tote bag Spray bottle Cons Not recommended for children under 3 years old This sweet set is made especially for toddlers. Gardening will encourage outdoor play, imagination, and works to develop both fine and gross motor skills. A durable tote fits a toddler-sized shovel, rake, and spray bottle. The tools are plastic. They are lightweight but may not hold up to heavy use or deep digging in the dirt. The 9 Best Outdoor Toys for Toddlers of 2021 Best for Backyards: Step2 Springtime Wheelbarrow View On Kohls.com Pros Toddler-friendly Dual-front wheels Cons Costly Put your little ones to work as they rake, shovel, and pile debris into their very own child-sized wheelbarrow. Best for kids ages 1 through 4-years old, this wheelbarrow has dual front wheels for extra stability. The included hand rake and trowel have special slots, so they are easy to store. This does require some assembly, but all it takes is a hammer and a few minutes, and you’ll be ready to go. The 10 Best Outdoor Games of 2021 Best for Siblings: Livvy Lauren Personalised 3pc Gardening Set Children's Garden Tools View On Etsy Pros Can be personalized Different color options Cons Not recommended for children under 3 years old Stop sibling arguments right in their tracks with these personalized gardening tools. A rake, round shovel, and square shovel are included in this set which comes in four different color options. Names can be engraved on the wooden handle, so there’s no second guessing on which rake belongs to who. Each tool is about 21 centimeters long, making them perfect for children ages 3 and up. Best for Creativity: Innorock Kids Flower Planting Growing Kit View On Amazon Pros Doubles as a craft Seeds included Cons Not recommended for children under 3 years old Children can really get involved with gardening from painting the pot itself to planting seeds. This kit includes 10 different pieces, including a planter tub and plant markers that can all be painted to your child’s liking. Once they’re finished painting, they can plant four different types of flowers: marigolds, balsams, zinnias, and cosmos. There’s also four butterfly sticks for decoration in the plant and a water bottle for when their flowers need a drink. Best for All Ages: MaterialByMash Kids Personalized Gardening Tool Belt View On Etsy Pros Personalized Tools included Cons Long shipping time Made for children from ages 1 to 7, kids can enjoy this personalized tool belt. It features three different gardening-related pictures, which you can have customized, and then add your child’s name. There are also three pockets on the belt to hold their two shovels and rake. The belt is adjustable, so it can grow with your child. Best Set: Born Toys Kids Gardening Set View On Amazon Pros Hat included Adjustable straps on apron Cons Seeds not included If you’re looking for a gardening kit to get your child involved with gardening, this set has it all. In this set, you’ll find a hat, gloves, spray bottle, tools, and an apron with pockets to hold their items. The hat can be worn two different ways while the apron has an adjustable neck and waist strap to ensure your child is comfortable while gardening. All of their items come inside of a carrying bag for easy storage, too. If you’re looking for tools to get your child first started in gardening, check out The Storybook Kids Explorers Club Kids Gardening Tools (view at Amazon). The bundle features gloves, a water can, three gardening tools, and the book How to Grow a Garden by Brett Oliver Parson. There’s also the Giddy Buggy Tote Set (view at Amazon), which will encourage outdoor play, imagination, and works to develop both fine and gross motor skills. What to Look for When Buying Kids Gardening Tools Durable When you’re deciding on gardening tools for children, you definitely want to buy products that are durable. Because children will be in the dirt, digging around and planting, you’ll need tools to last any impact they might endure, especially if they hit a rock while digging. Some tools are made with a wooden handle and metal end, which are great for gardening because they’re durable materials. If your child is under the age of three, you may want to opt for tools that are plastic before graduating to more adult-like materials. However, just keep in mind that plastic tools may break more easily. Age-Appropriate One of the most important factors you should consider when buying kids gardening tools is the age-appropriateness of the tools. Age recommendations are guidelines parents and caregivers should follow because they’re also for safety reasons. Many gardening tools are typically safe for children 3 years old and up, but there are some products aimed for children under that age, like the Step2 Springtime Wheelbarrow (view at kohls.com), which is safe for children ages 2 and up. Wooden and metal materials are usually safer for children above the age of 3, while plastic tools will work best for toddlers. Either way, you’ll want to double check what the manufacturer recommends when it comes to age guidelines. Real vs. Fake As you’ve probably noticed, gardening tools for kids are made in different materials, and it really depends on age. To put it simply, there are either real or fake gardening tools for kids on the market. With real tools, they will resemble the tools you use for yourself while gardening. They usually have a metal end with a wooden handle and can be tall or short, depending on your comfort level. There are also tools that are fake, like plastic tools, which are great for young children, but they’re not the best option for true gardening. If you decide to use these for your little one, you can always prep the area you’re gardening in by getting some dirt wet so it’s easier for a shovel to slide in. Why Trust Verywell Family Maya Polton is a former marketing manager and current freelance writer who covers food, home, and parenting. She's also the mom of a 10-year-old son, 6-year-old son, and 2-year old daughter. Her family uses a wide variety of appropriate and non-appropriate tools to plant tons of bulbs in the fall and each spring she's always so glad she forced them all to help when they enjoy seeing the flowers grow together. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? 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