7 Ways to Make Gardening Fun for the Family
It’s never too early to start teachingyour kids the value of a garden and how to take care of plants, herbs, fruitsand vegetables. Plus, it a great outside activity! Not only will gardening help your children learn to love vegetables, but it will also help them learn carefor other things, sustainability, and have a sense of responsibility. Valuable life skills and family time happenin the garden!
Get your kids involved in every step of theprocess!
Have them help you pick out which vegetables to grow
Get them to help you plant everything.
Everyday have them help you water, weed, and check on the plants.
Teach them how to harvest your bounty
Give them their own space – Allow the kids to dig, water, experiment, play withworms, and generally get dirty!
Activities for a child in the garden
Choose activities that suit the child’s age. Suggestions include:
Watering the garden
Digging
Picking flowers
Planting vegetables, fruits and flowers in the correct season
Feeding the worms
Picking vegetables and fruits when they are ready to eat
Preparing healthy food, such as making salads and preparing school lunches
Craft activities using harvested seeds, plants and flowers
Composting, recycling, and mulching
Weeding
Gathering seeds and dried flowers
Deadheading flowers
Replanting and re-potting.
What can I plant with kids?
Plant easy to care foritems that tend to be prolific. The idea here is not to grow enough of any oneitem for any kind of a sizable harvest, but instead to encourage your children to learn and be involved. These items are easy favorites to grow and usually produce a lot of bounty!
Carrots
Baby Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
French Beans
SugarSnap Peas
Salad Greens
Spinach
Strawberries
Zucchini
(thegingeredwhisk.com)
Remember, the idea here is not to have a perfect garden. The idea is to have fun! So relax and have fun getting dirty with your kiddos! Give them their own space – Allow the kids to dig, water, experiment, play with worms, and generally get dirty!
