COMMENTARY: DuneCraft’s Whimsical Growing Kits Get Kids Enthusiastic About Plants

With spring right around the corner, garden centers, hardware stores, and nurseries have already begun stocking seeds, supplies, and everything necessary for those with a green thumb to plant a garden. As an avid gardener and plant enthusiast, I’ve already joined the ranks and gathered enough seeds to plant a small farm in my back yard.

So it was no surprise that I was looking forward to visiting the DuneCraft booth at the recent American International Toy Fair. DuneCraft makes more than 350 different growing kits for kids. Kits are themed. The Sensory Dome includes five types of plants, one for each of the senses; the Carnivorous Creatures kit features the infamous Venus Fly Trap and sundews—the list goes on. Not only do the kits let kids grow cool plants or foods, the packaging is whimsical and fun, similar to the idea behind Sea Monkeys.

Learning about growing food and plants is something that kids can not only have fun with, it is also a fantastic way to educate them about nature and the world around them. DuneCraft got it right with the packaging because kits such as the Dragon’s Lair, Pirate’s Cove, Princess Garden, and the Strange Plant Collection are sure to get kids’ attention and foster enthusiasm for the growing process.

For more commentary from Christine, check back each Tuesday afternoon. Views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Toy Book as a whole. We hope that you will share your comments and feedback below. Until next time!

•