With so much time being spent at home these days, parents looking for ways to keep their kids engaged and entertained don’t need to look any further than their own backyard. Starting a garden is a great way to promote exercise, creativity, problem-solving, get fresh air and more.
Keep reading to learn how to start a garden with kids and give them memories that will last a lifetime.
Before you even begin planting or getting the soil ready, give your kids their own garden plot. It doesn’t have to be big, even a space as small as a 2 x 2 foot plot will work. All kids will appreciate having a space that is exclusively their own. That doesn’t mean you should just leave them to their own devices, but having a space to call their own will make the experience that much more enjoyable. Take some time to help them stake their plot with string so they get a sense of the boundaries they have to work with.
Drawing up garden plans is a fun way to get the process started. Not only will it help to organize the project, but it will also teach them the value of having a solid plan and how it’s easier to reach your end goal that way. This is the time to encourage their creativity and visualization skills.
Not all age groups will be able to do all of the various gardening activities, so keep this in mind during the planning stage. For toddlers, give them some kid safe gardening tools and let them do the digging for you. They can also be trusted with planting seeds and watering with supervision.
For kids that are a little older, you can add more responsibility and let them have more say in what to plant and take care of the upkeep as the plants grow. Older kids can also keep a journal to document the process and work on their writing skills at the same time. If your toddlers want to keep a journal too, encourage them to use pictures to show what’s happening in the garden.
For teens, step back and let them take care of the garden project from start to finish. You may have to give them a nudge from time to time to provide the amount of care needed, but they are more than capable of planning, planting, nurturing and harvesting whatever you plant.
Beautiful flowers are wonderful and will enhance your property, but the best garden ideas for kids should probably include fruits and vegetables. If they are able to go through the process and then have something to eat in the end, it will teach a valuable lesson and they’ll be more likely to try new things. Some ideas of what to plant includes carrots, peas, lettuce, beans, radishes, beets, spinach, peppers, strawberries, blueberries and cucumbers.
Make sure to keep your kids involved in the process no matter how old they are. For younger kids, you may have to do more explaining and teaching and be more relaxed about mistakes, but let them be part of each stage of the process so they get the most out of the experience.
Teaching your kids to garden is a valuable skill that will flourish their creativity, keep them entertained, and they may get to eat what they plant. To help plan your landscaping this summer contact the experts at MPS Property Services.
Sources:
https://www.planetnatural.com/kids-garden/
https://us.minigarden.net/how-to-get-your-kids-interested-in-gardening/
https://migardener.com/10-tips-to-getting-kids-hooked-on-gardening/
