Gardening is a wonderful activity that kids of every age can enjoy. Children can learn new skills, have fun, play, ground themselves and develop self-confidence by digging in the soil, getting dirty, tending to plants and watching them grow.
Give Kids Their Own Space
Giving your kids their own area in the garden that is something that can take a bit of time to get right, especially if you don’t have much space. However, there are things you can do to draw your children’s attention to this specific area. Sand filled boxes, playpens, climbing playgrounds or even little plastic outside playhouses will keep the kids occupied with imaginary play. Remember, kids like to play and get dirty, especially when they’re younger, so try and make it as fun as you can. Instead of staying inside and play video games, watch the screen or text each other, kids can happily splash in the pool. There is a multitude of water games they can play while swimming in the water. Filled plastic pools or you can research best above ground pools for varying sizes so you can get one that suits your space and needs. Another idea is to take them to a clubhouse pool so they can interact with other kids and play actively together.
Get Them Actively Involved In What You’re Doing
If you have a green thumb, and you want to pass this habit on to your children, getting them to take part in gardening activities can be quite a challenge. Giving your children the chance to dig in their own vegetable garden gets them actively involved in the whole process. Children nowadays don’t have a chance to be exposed to gardening activities as much as before. If you can get children involved as early as possible, by making a dedicated gardening space to plant seeds and watch them grow, will promote their love for nature. Granted, you might not get much usable produce, but is that really the goal? When my kids were little we played “catch me if you can” game around the vegetable garden. My intention was for them to rip off and eat as many baby tomatoes as they can, pretending that they will be caught by me if I get them. They ran circles, burning off all the energy while eating organic tomatoes. Even today, I reflect on that happy memory.
Developing Their Gardening Abilities
It is a learning process, and if you want children to develop an interest in gardening, then you have to let them make mistakes. Maybe they will forget to water the plants, group them too closely together, plant seeds too deep, too shallow, or in the wrong place, it is all a part of a learning curve. The more mistakes they make earlier in life, the better. As the time goes on, kids will gain enough confidence to learn self-sustaining practices. Moreover, the health benefits of gardening will provide a soft and continuous therapeutic effect on the kid’s daily wellbeing. Harvesting their own fruits of labor increases the sense of accomplishment and ability to further believe in their own abilities.
What About The Neighbors?
Let’s be honest, not all humans get along and not all kids either. What if you want to drink your coffee outside on your porch and the kid next door observes you stepping out and wonders in to play. What if the neighbors have curious dogs that want to run in to say hello. There are multiple scenarios that might disturb your privacy and my idea of a row of bushes can provide an excellent physical, but a natural barrier. Roses, blackberries, hydrangeas, ligustrum, forsythias, tall grasses, and willows would be the idyllic esthetically pleasing barriers that are friendly to pollinators and wildlife as well.
Watch Your Property
Sometimes children like to break rules and cross the property lines to munch on your prized tree fruits or berry bushes. While you might not want to go this far, maybe it’s time to install a motion detection surveillance camera. Yes, this may be overkill, but if you’ve got someone trespassing constantly and it’s proving to be an absolute nuisance, installing one of these might be the best deterrent. Especially if you are at work or traveling, the camera will help you keep your property safe and you will know exactly who is coming and going.
Make it a very green and fun day.
Until next time, dear friends.
Luda@PlantsandBeyond🌿
Photographs listed here do not belong to Luda @PlantsandBeyond.com
©PlantsandBeyond.com
It’s always very beneficial to grow up in the lap of nature and to be connected with it, you have discussed almost all the positive sides of it.
Very potent write up.
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Thank you very much, JS
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This is a beautiful post! My girls love digging into dirt. I’m lucky that way. We do enjoy the outdoors and doing things in nature.
Hope you had a lovely weekend!
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Awww, thank you, sweet Mel. So happy to hear your girls are into nature as well
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Yes, it is much better to play with friends outside than playing with gaming gadgets inside the house.
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Thank you, Megala for your comment and thoughts
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What a wonderful post.I love to see kids playing outside .I love my garden and I think that kids who. An enjoy a garden small or big while growing up are the luckiest .my two have always been outside kids and always loved to help me gardening and since we are growing some vegetables and strawberries too they are obsessed with checking on them🤷🏻♀️
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Just Amazing. This is wonderful news to have kids that actually enjoy outside. Thank you, Ortensia, for your reflection!
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Always my pleasure reading your posts.have a good day😀🌼
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💕🤗💕🤗💕
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When our grandchildren visit, they love to go out and help Grampa in his garden. Makes for a stronger back for them and helps us, too!
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What an active, nature loving grandma you are. Great example to the rest, Vicklea!
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ì love this post Luda….:)
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So very happy you liked it, Sophie. Xoxoxo
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Read my previous comment and let me know hahahhhaha
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What a great post, Luda! 🙂 My little one does not want to play inside at all, he is the most happy boy outside and we are encouraging that a lot. This weekend I did some gardening (as my plants are happily growing ❤ 😀 ) and Demian was imitating everything what I was doing. It was amazing… Lot of mess as he tried very hard and he is just 20 months old, but I loved it ❤ I hope you had a great weekend, Luda! 🙂
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Oh, wow, Vero. Demian is such an old soul. What a great family activity and most of all-quality time together!
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He is great kid in that sense… I feel I am very lucky with my little boy 🙂 It is so true… I love that time together!
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I so love this. This is my way of raising kids
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Shantanu, thank you for your reflection. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone’s childhood was enhanced by nature?
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Totally. I so agree. I make it a point with my kids.
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Apart from your excellent advice of involving children in garden work your photos are absolutely adorable, Luda.
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Awwww, wow, Peter. You made me smile. thank you very much!
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Lovely post, Luda! Being around nature at a young age for children is a wonderful thing for they’ll grow up appreciating it.
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I guess that happened to me? Yes, I love your advice, Diana. That is what kids will appreciate when grown up.
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Thank you for this, Luda. Too many children are nature-deprived these days and it is a real problem!!
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So well stated , Eilene – yes nature-deprivation!!!! Simple truths
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What lovely refreshing amazing post!
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💕🤗🌿🤗💕
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I loved having a little part of the garden that was ‘mine’ when I was a child.
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Awww- what s lovely memory !!!!
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This is such an important post. It is easy to take the path of least resistance and allow our children to stay in their rooms and play on their computers. However, getting them involved in nature and gardening at an early age imprints on them the importance of being connected to the beautiful outdoors and teaches them early on a true appreciation of what’s outside. I totally agree with getting them involved a early as possible with gardening and with nature. It’s so important. I always get them involved with weeding and pruning back plants whenever I’m outside. And they’re getting pretty good at it, too!
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Wow -that’s great that your kids follow your lead and help you outside, EWF! Thank you for your wonderful input and reflection🌿✨🌿
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Wow… So lovely. I love this.
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Thank you. Rotimi
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My pleasure
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The other idea is to incorporate nature play ideas into your garden design. Such as low broad rocks for leaping from, grasses to touch and broad paths to ride on if you can. A mud patch or mud kitchen is fun too.
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Love all your creative ideas, Rosie. Thank you for sharing them here.
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Wonderful ideas here 🙂
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Thank you, Christy💕
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