Teaching kids about where food comes from can be challenging, if you don't have a garden. And since most apartment dwellers don't have gardens, well, what are we supposed to do? Maybe Root-Vue? Winner of Parents' Choice, Dr. Toy, and Oppenheim Awards, Root-vue lets kids watch their plants grow from the roots up, through a break-resistant acrylic window box.

As your veggie garden grows, kids get to watch the cycle of food, from seed to harvest. These self-watering kits are nearly impossible to screw up, and are easily refilled after your first few harvests. We have seen Root-Vue in a number of educational stores, but Amazon scores the best price: $25.95.