A pollinator garden is not only a great conservation project, it also provides your child with the invaluable experience of expanding their mind through observing the infinite diversity present in nature. The  first  step  is  to choose flowers and  plants that  foster your child’s sensory development through a variety of colors, shapes, smells, tastes, and textures, which are also foundational  skills  for  studying  Science,  Technology,  Engineering,  and  Math (STEM). This can become  an educational Eden where your child can observe, experiment with, and hypothesize about how water and sunlight make flowers  grow,  the  relationship between flower shape and pollinator preference, how insects use structures on their bodies to pollinate flowers, the dynamics of animal camouflage, the mechanisms of flight in birds and insects, and so much. While you should  always  consider  your child’s specific allergies and sensitivities, the following are a sampling of great plant choices for starting a pollinator garden to ignite curiosity and encourage active  Bee balm is a beautiful flower native to North America, perennial in USDA hardiness zones 3-9, and is excellent at attracting pollinators to  any garden. Zinnias  and  dahlias  come  in  lovely  shades  of  the rainbow for your  child  to  observe  like  red,  burgundy,  pink,  yellow,  orange, as well as multicolored forms. Herbs like lavender, basil, and sage  are  colorful  pollinator  favorites with beautiful smells  for  your  child  to  experience   and  can also be used to season your favorite Adding fruit  and vegetable  plants like  strawberry, watermelon, blueberry, cantaloupe, cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, celery, carrot, or even fruit trees gives your child the opportunity to observe how a flower pollinated by an insect can transform into delicious food to eat. You can also teach your child responsibility in an engaging and fun environment as they grow and assume some of the gardening tasks themselves. It is also important NOT to plant invasive species of flowers that can aggressively take over your garden, or harm the local habitat. Try planting native species that can live in balance with the local ecosystem.