10 Small Garden Ideas for Children That Work Better Than a Huge Backyard

The “Jack and the Beanstalk” Teepee

A couple of summers ago, I tried growing standard green beans against a boring, flat trellis screwed into our back fence.

My four kids completely ignored them, mostly because reaching through the tangled vines felt like too much work just to harvest a simple vegetable.

I realized that if I wanted them to actually care about our edible garden for children, the plants needed to feel like a giant, immersive adventure rather than a backyard chore.

That is exactly when I decided to ditch the flat trellis and build a massive, living tent right in the middle of our patio.

Building the Bamboo Framework

Creating a bean teepee diy is honestly the easiest weekend project, and it completely reinvents how you use vertical space in a small yard.

You just need six or seven tall bamboo poles, roughly six feet in length, arranged in a wide circle directly in the dirt or in a large, round planter.

Simply tie them tightly together at the very top with some heavy-duty garden twine, making sure to leave a wide gap between two of the poles to serve as the “front door.”

This setup acts as a fantastic, budget-friendly garden play structure alternative that doesn’t require expensive plastic or a massive lawn to assemble.

The Edible Payoff

Once the teepee structure is completely secure, we plant two climbing pole bean seeds at the base of every single bamboo pole.

I absolutely love planting Scarlet Runner beans because they produce gorgeous, bright red flowers before turning into massive, crunchy bean pods.

Within a few weeks, the fast-growing vines completely swallow the poles, creating a dense, leafy hideout where my kids can sit in the shade and literally eat the walls.

It is such a wildly fun way to get them snacking on fresh, healthy greens, but if you really want to blow their minds with weird and colorful vegetables, hit the next button below because we are planting a literal rainbow next!