Parents are often looking for ways to engage their kids in activities other than video games, the internet, and other modern technologies. One outdoor activity that parents can use to engage their children is gardening. In fact, it is never too early to introduce kids to the love of gardening and showing them how to grown their own food. There are a number of ways to bring kids into the garden, spark their interests, and keep them involved in gardening. The following tips are just a few ideas for sharing in this outdoor activity as a family.
One of the easiest ways to get the kids involved in gardening is by making it fun and exciting. When something is interesting and intriguing, or even disgusting in some circumstances, children are usually excited to get involved. The key to capturing the attention of the children is to promote the fun angle within the activity. This means planning ahead and actively engaging the kids. By doing so, parents can not only gain the attention of their kids, but keep their attention focused on this outdoor activity as a family.
Get them their own tools
One thing that gets kids excited about gardening is when they get their own personal little kit of gardening tools. There are a number of gardening tools that are made specifically for kids. They are sized for kids, safe for kids, and they come in some very wonderful colours. Kids are attracted to the colourful tools and they are encouraged to join in the outdoor activities using their own gardening tools. Parents can even purchase gardening gloves that are made specifically for kids, in their size and in colourful patterns.
Some may even have their favourite cartoon characters printed on them. Watering plants is an important part of the growth process. Purchase a neat watering can that is attractive to the kids and is the proper size and strength to match the size of the child. Kids usually do not enjoy cleaning up after themselves, but make cleaning and putting tools away easy and fun by playing in the water a bit. This could mean splashing a bit of water back and forth.
Get them growing
Kids want to see their efforts rewarded. Immediate gratification is always a way to engage kids. Parents should choose plants that are easy to grow, and even plants that may grow rather quickly. Involve the kids in the plant choosing process, but make sure the chosen plants are relatively free from growing troubles. This means choosing plants that are easy for beginning gardeners. It may also help to choose some plants that will result in some edible fruit or harvest that are tasty to kids. Children will get excited about picking the harvest and watching it go directly from the garden to the dining table. Some good plants to choose are: squash, tomatoes (from seedlings), lettuces, peas and beans, sunflowers, radishes, poppies, sweet peas, pansies, marigolds, nasturtiums, and alyssum.
Do some preparation before taking the kids to the garden. In other words, parents should do some of the more difficult work that is necessary to prepare a garden for seeds and seedlings. This may include cultivating the soil and adding nutrients to the soil. The goal is to gain the kids' attention and to keep them engaged so focus the family outdoor activity on the joy of the planting process, the watering of the plants, and the anticipation of waiting for the plants to appear from the soil and grow.
Children tend to be amazed by some things that occur in the world naturally because they seem wondrous to the eyes of children. Show the kids how a simple cutting of a plant can grow into an entirely new plant. There are some plants that are easier to re-grow from cuttings than others; they include begonias, succulents, bromeliads, and pelargoniums. As kids become more experienced with this process they can begin trying to experiment with re-growing other plants from their cuttings.
Make them wildlife spotters
Most kids are intrigued by wildlife of all sorts. It makes sense then to include a fixture of some sort that will add wildlife to the gardening experience. This could include a bird feeder, birdbath, or feeders for other forms of wildlife like squirrels. Kids will love experiencing and watching wildlife in their own garden.
Arts and crafts projects
Many kids love doing craft projects, especially with their parents. Translate this interest to the garden by getting crafty. There are things that can be recycled, re-purposed, or re-made as accessories for the garden or even to be used as gardening tools. Here are a few ideas:
- Use iced confectionery sticks to make plant or herb markers
- Use beads, pebbles, or shells to string hanging decorations with fishing line or thread
- Use bright coloured paint and/or designs to decorate planters or flower pots
- Make a plant protector or garden bed out of an old tire
- Create a homemade birdfeeder, or purchase a birdfeeder kit and put it together with the kids