I've always taken DD (age 3) but she's only one child!
For her, riding in the wagon (do all garden centers have wagons?) was the highlight of the trip. Add a special and rare treat (M&M's work for us) and she was pretty content.

Also - I don't have a problem with her wandering NEAR me and smelling the plants. Good lessons in "being gentle" and reading the plant tags.

Then again - I'm only dealing with ONE child!

I have three:

Don't go when they are tired, hungry, or cranky for any reason.

That's my advice for all shopping.

I have to agree with the above advice, although it's not always convenient, neither is the humiliation of dealing with a kid who throws themselves on the floor and screams like a B movie horror queen, or the frustration of spending half the day chasing a future Olypmic runner up and down aisles.
I have two boys and although most of the time any type of shopping is stressful and exhausting, there are rare occasions where no one gets lost, throws a tantrum and i arrive home with a still full head of hair. :)
Actually my boys' favorite secton of any store is the garden section. I too allow them to wander, as long as they stay close and aren't acting too wild. For us, they most important part is allowing the children to choose some of the plants and always let them have some say in every step of the planning. Most of the time the little one must stay int he cart because he is very hyper and prone to running away. To keep him occupied I not only let him tell me which plants he'd like, but since he's riding in the cart he becomes the offical caretaker of each new "little brother" or "little sister" we place in the cart. This is how he refers to a new plant, so I allow him to hold and "baby" the plants while in the cart.
With my oldest it is much easier. If he sees something interesting, I can easily keep him occupied(and exercised) by asking him different questions about the plant that require him to go back and forth to get the answer from the tag (ie: how much is it? what is it called? is it for shade/sun/part shade? how big does it get?)
Not only does this teach him how to find information on the tags, but it makes him feel he's has helped in the decision of whether or not it's right for us.

I haven't taken the two boys that I watch to the garden center, but here are some general tips when we have been gardening/shopping.

Before you go, get them excited about going. At least a week or two ahead of time, get them to look at different plants in your neighborhood (it will probably be mostly fall-planted bulbs and you can explain that you will plant those in the fall). Read about how a plant grows and what it needs (soil, water, sun). There are some great non-fiction books that are geared to children. I can't think of any as the boys are interested in dinosaurs and animals! Your local library will be a great resource.

I always try to make a list before we go to any store. Involve the kids, depending on their age level/ability they can help write the list, number the items, count the items, see how many things start with the same letter, etc. Then I let them hold the list when we are at the store. (You might have to make 3 lists for 3 kids...) Maybe you can print pictures from the internet of the types of plants you need to get. I always have the kids smell flowers, herbs and compare the smells. (I also do this when we are cooking.) Maybe the kids could each pick out a plant that they would like to take care of.

Good luck to you and the little gardeners!

-dmb

You could buy them Safari hats, and tell them they need to be very sneeky and quiet while sneeking through the "jungle" :) That should be adventure and fun enough for any kid, and help to keep them out of trouble too.

Thank you, all! These are wonderful ideas. It sure is clear to me that some kids are more in love with plants than others. Making it an adventure is very helpful.

We had just one boy, but under age 3 we put him in the cart. Sometimes in the seat up "front", sometimes in the back with the plants as he got older. But we kept him involved. We would pick up plants with flowers and let him smell the flowers. We would pick up plants with smooth or furry leaves, and show him how to touch them nice without pulling the leaves off. Or we'd take a fine with a long tendril and tickle his neck with it. Basically we'd show him all the flowers we liked and let him smell and touch it. We taught him he could touch it but not if he pulled a leaf off.

When I take walks now (he's 8) I tell him the names of plants I find, when it blooms, what color the blooms are. Then I ask him which one he likes best. Now we planted marigolds and will plant them outside as soon as I harden them off, so they will be "his" to take care of and water.

I might also let him pick out a plant at the store, if he wants. I could tell him he has $5 and he can pick a plant and take care of it.

sometimes kids are unpredictable and surprise you...hopefully it will be a pleasant surprise.

When I take my kids somewhere like a garden center and there are other kids...the energy can go from shy to outrageous.

I love the idea of the safari hats! trying to keep their hands busy is a great challenge. perhaps allowing each one to pick out a package of seeds and one 6 pack keeps them busy and on a mission while you glance and shop like a mad women trying to keep one eye on the kids!lol

I have basicly decided that I will have to wait to have my leasure time of shopping days back...unless DH babysits or goes with me and we can trade off.

Putting the kids in a cart or wagon helps...but that too with my kids can get crazy racing wagons around perennial pots or stacked up plants in walkways.

I have four kids and try never to take the two older(13 & 10 years old)with me. They whine way to much. But I love to take my 6 and 3 year olds with me. As long as they get to pick out a nice annual(usually cheaper than anything else), I can shop as long as I want. Then we all go home and plant. They get to pick where their new plants go and can't wait to show Daddy when he gets home. Chris

Here's some advice from a shopper, and a preschool teacher (whose own children have grown into adult gardeners). Remember that there are dangers in a garden center for children--bags of chemicals that may have spilled, plants that have poisonous leaves, etc. Therefore you should keep a close eye on your children for their safety. Also there are often older people shopping. Sometimes these people are to the point that they fear falling. I always told my own children that although they knew where they were going, other people did not, and might fear that they would run into them. So teach your children to give other customers a wide berth. It is important for children to learn to love plants, but it is also important for them to learn to respect other people's property (i.e. the nursery owner's things), and to respect other people. So no matter how enthralled you are in a new plant, or excited about a new garden gadget, ALWAYS keep your children under your control!

I have 2 children of my own and would take my sisters 8 - yes she has 8 children :) - with me everywhere. I never had a problem with any of them, as long as they got to help and decide on things. Although at the grocery story & nursery's they usually ended up with WAY more than I did and it can get rather pricey and alot of work come planting time!

Out of 10 children, 7 of them are avid gardeners. My daughter is still to young for her own place (she is a big help to me) my son is allergic to alot of green things and my neice is in the AirForce stationed in Japan. They still get excited about visiting me to see what I have and are always bringing me unusal things to grow :) Can't wait till my neice comes home this summer to see what she has for the flower beds!!

Hey Beth,

Did you get your article written?

I advise taking the children shopping frequently, using each outing as an opportunity to train the children how you want them to behave. One thing we practice at home and while shopping is "come to momma". When a child learns to quickly obey this simple command whenever it is given, many potential problems are eliminated before trouble occurs!

Lisa,
Mother of 4