Gardens are a great place to create meaningful and fun learning experiences for kids. Whether you’ve already started a garden or are planning one, there are many ways to involve your younger family members. Being in the garden helps children understand the life cycle, develop independence, and learn environmental awareness. Here are some helpful tips for gardening with kids and spending quality time outdoors.
Gardening With Kids: Build Wildlife Habitats
Creating wildlife habitats is one of the most enjoyable and educational activities when gardening with kids. Many kids love animals and enjoy watching and taking care of them. Depending on your available space, you might dig a pond and add fish and other aquatic plants or build a bee-friendly flower border.
Plant Seedlings With Kids
Depending on the kids’ ages, they may be able to assist you in planting seedlings like tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, or cucumbers. Pick plants you think the children will enjoy growing. Edible plants are a great place to start because kids will be excited to grow them and look forward to harvesting them.
Make it Fun
The number one thing to remember when gardening with kids is to keep it fun. Find ways to engage the kids. Children often have a short attention span. If they don’t get to participate in what is taking place actively, they may get bored and decide they’re not interested.
Don’t have them do the same tasks over and over. This is monotonous, and your kids might get bored. Find activities they enjoy as you spend time outdoors. Teach them how to paint and decorate planters, or have them draw their favorite plants from the garden. When giving instructions or corrections, keep them light and easy to understand.
Create Learning Opportunities While Gardening With Kids
Time spent in the garden can provide learning opportunities and promote communication skills. When working outside with children, explain to them the importance of water to plants, how to properly water the plants, and the benefits of watering at certain times of the day. Gardening provides an active learning experience and allows them to interact with the environment directly.
Show Off Their Achievements
A great motivator for children is being rewarded for their efforts and being acknowledged. Take pictures for reference after planting seeds in their planters or garden beds. As the plants grow taller, take photographs to record their progress.
Gardening is an enjoyable activity for adults and children of all ages. Use the above ideas to get your kids outside to spend quality time gardening.
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