Gardening might not always spring to mind as a family activity, but the truth is that it can be incredibly worthwhile encouraging your children to try it out. But how can you do this? Especially if you have a child who is not particularly keen on getting outdoors.
The trick is to make it fun. To make it something that your children are going to enjoy doing. To help inspire you, we have put together some fun gardening hacks that you can involve your children in.
Grow their own food
One of the best ways to encourage children to enjoy gardening is to get them involved with growing their own food. Growing fruits and vegetables is incredibly easy to do and is great fun. It is something that you not only can do together but that you can then enjoy together too. When it comes to growing your food, you are just going to need minimal equipment. However, one important thing to have is a polytunnel. A polytunnel is going to protect your crops and make sure that they have the perfect environment to grow in, best of all, there is a wide range of polytunnels out there that you can choose from.
Try planting something that grows quickly
Children can be impatient, which means that if they don’t see results immediately, then they may lose interest. In those early days of introducing them to gardening, you may find it worthwhile trying to plant seeds that are quick sprouting. These seeds include cress, salad, and sunflower seeds. All of which will grow quickly and allow them to see a reward for their hard work, all without much waiting around.
Feed the wildlife
Our gardens are about more than just the plants in it. It is also all about the wildlife, the animals that call it their home. Children love animals, so why not encourage them to get out in the outdoor space by thinking up some ways to feed and take care of the wildlife that also spend time in it. Butterflies, bugs, birds and even small creatures such as hedgehogs and squirrels, these are all creatures that you can encourage your child to take care of and learn more about.
Paint some plant pots
Of course, the plants and flowers that we plant in our garden bring plenty of color to the space. However, who said that you have to settle with this? In fact, you could always add a touch more color by getting arty and crafty with your kids. Why not pick up some plain and boring plant pots and then task them to jazz them up and create something amazing? Not only will this give them something to do on a rainy day, but will also give your garden a personal touch too.
Give them their own space
As parents, we tend to try and make sure that we contain the mess that our children can create as much as possible. However, this shouldn’t mean that our children don’t get their space to be free and do what they like in. Why not make their own individual space in your garden? Depending on the size of your outdoor area, this could be a small pot, a flower bed or even an entire corner. The main thing is that they are allowed to plant and dig and take care of their own little space, without too much interference from you.
Buy them their own gardening tools
Children don’t mind borrowing bits and bobs from their parents. However, they love having something to call their own. If you really want to encourage your child to enjoy a spot of gardening, why not treat them to their very own gardening tools set? They will love having it, they will love using it, and this will help them to feel great about gardening and spending time outside. No matter what it is that they are growing.
It is possible to encourage your children to spend time out in the garden, and you just need to think about ways to get them interested in your outdoor space and the things that you can grow out there, as well as the animals that call it their home.
So, now you have some ideas and inspiration for getting your children out in the garden. Why not try them out for yourself? You may be surprised by just how much you love gardening as a family.