Plants form the basis of many science experiments. Children can learn so much from observing the growth of plants and flowers. It's important when selecting plants for your early childhood service that they are safe and non toxic for children.
Indoor Plants
When looking for indoor plants for your early childhood services, look for plants that are interesting, that need no or very little water, ones that use less fertiliser and plants that change carbon into good air.
Here is a list of child friendly indoor plants:
- African Violet
- Aluminum Plant
- Anthurium
- Air Plants
- Aphelandra
- Baby’s Tears
- Begonia
- Bromeliad
- Bloodleaf
- Boston Fern
- Christmas Cactus
- Coleus
- Corn Plant
- Croton
- Dracaena
- Emerald Ripple Peperomia
- Echeveria
- Flowering Kalanchoe
- Hen-And-Chickens
- Hoya
- Impatiens
- Jade Plant
- Jasmine
- Lithops
- Lemon Tree
- Lucky Bamboo
- Parlor Palm
- Prayer Plant
- Pothos
- Polka Dot Plant
- Ponytail Palm
- Rubber Plant
- Schefflera
- Sensitive Plant
- Snake Plant
- Spider Plant
- Swedish Ivy
- Velvet, Purple Passion
- Wandering Jew
- Weeping Fig
Children also like to touch, so choose indoor plants that can be touched like Aloe Vera or soft, fuzzy leafed plants like African violets.
The following are plants that have a range of different textures for children to touch:
- Allium
- Chenille
- Passionflower
- Sunflower
- Lotus Flower
- Dandelion
- Scadoxus
- Hyacinth
- 'New Day Rose Stripe' Gazania
Outdoor Plants
For services wanting to add plants and flowers to the outdoor environment, choose once that are vibrant, colourful and appeal to the senses.
Here is a list of non toxic plants for outdoors:
- Sunflower
- Nasturtium
- Butterfly Bush
- Daisies
- Lamb's Ear
- Marigolds
- Pole Bean
- Sweet Alyssum
Poisonous and Harmful Plants
Some plants are poisonous and capable of causing highly allergic reactions and toxic when indigested
Here are a few plants that are more toxic than others, these should not be planted in your early childhood service due to the possible reaction it may cause children. It's best to avoid the following:
- Pencil Cactus
- Devil's Ivy
- Heartleaf
- Peace Lily
- ZZ Plant
- Aloe Vera
- Bird Of Paradise
- English Ivy
- Yellow Oleander
- Foxglove
- Castor Bean Plant
- Angels Trumpet
- Asthma Weed
- Rhus Tree
- Grevillias
When having plants within your service, get the children involved by having those that are interested watering plants, discuss plant care, life cycle of plants. Talk about the way plants benefit us and improve our lives.
Having plants within the service that are planted and already full-grown children can learn responsibility by taking care of the plants.
This is to be used as a general guidelines only. Please ensure that you get expert advice before purchasing plants.
References:
- Safe Indoor Plants Childcare, Fantastic Gardener Melbourne
- Best Plants For Kids, Country Living
- Gardening Know How: Growing Houseplants With Children: Suitable Houseplants For Kids To Grow Poisonous and
- Harmful Plants, Sydney Children's Hospital