Gardening is a productive way to spend time with family and can result in yummy crops you and your family can enjoy. Many people have the notion that in order to garden, the plants must be maintained perfectly otherwise there is no point. If you are a new gardener, you should expect some things not to work, but it is all part of the fun. Trail and error will help you and your children problem solve together to figure out what went wrong. Allow your family to work at their own pace and within their attention spans and age range, especially children.
Let them play an active role in planning. Kids love to dig! This can be a great way to teach them gardening basics while also letting them have fun. You can also take your children to the local nursery and let them pick seeds or transplants to start the garden. Take your time and let them browse and enjoy all of the beautiful plants.
Another way to keep children involved is by growing a themed garden. This is a great way to let your children use their imagination and express their creativity. Some great ideas are growing a garden that coincides with holidays, alphabet gardens, and gardens themed in favorite colors, a sensory garden where you can experience different smells, tastes, textures and sights.
Give children their own “kid sized” tools. They don’t have to be expensive. You can go with an old spoon and a bucket that you have around the house or you can venture down to the garden center and purchase garden tools that are made especially for children’s hands.
Give them a space to call their own. It doesn’t have to be big. This will teach them ownership and responsibility, and your children will be able to take credit for their own little space.
Get crafty! Press or dry flowers to make a beautiful arrangement, make potpourri, or make a pomander ball. Children love making things and will be amazed at the crafts and gifts that they can make from the garden.
Use gardening to brush up your children’s math and science skills. Let them count the seeds they are planting, figure out how many plants can go in each row or count how many pedals are on each flower. Not only will you capture their attention, you will be polishing their skills as you go.
Have a contest. Kids love to be rewarded. Be sure to give each child a reward; the biggest tomato, the prettiest flower, or perhaps the best tasting herbs.
Don’t try to do it all! Pick a few of these tips that you know are best for your family and have fun with them. After all, gardening is meant to be fun and easy. And with a little help, something the whole family can enjoy