How To:
Grow a Kid-Friendly Garden.
by: CB Staff Writer
Expert tips for planning, planting and enjoying a family plot.
These days, childhood fun is increasingly found inside. From playing video games to watching television and surfing the web, kids are much more likely to spend their spring and summer days on the couch than out in the yard. But it’s never too late to help them cultivate a new outdoor hobby like gardening. Introducing kids to the wonders of nature that can be found right in their own backyards is a great way to push them into the outdoors, teach even the youngest children important lessons about where their food comes as well as the importance of nature and our environment.
Even the youngest children can get involved with gardening, get them started early and they’re much more likely to include the activity in their lives as they grow.
Obviously, kids will interact and participate in gardening activities in different ways at different stages in their lives. Plus, there are various safety issues to keep in mind when gardening with little ones. Here are a few of our favorite tips for helping kids learn to appreciate gardening so your whole family can have fun in the dirt with confidence.
- Keep It Simple: It’s impossible to expect a baby of 6 months to understand the concept of how a seed becomes an edible plant, but that doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy watching you tend the soil. Kids love using their senses—it’s how they learn about the world around them—and gardening is a great way to engage most of them. Even the youngest child can enjoy inspecting flowers at close range, smelling their sweet fragrance and feeling their soft petals. Once they’re a bit older, you can move on to container gardening, or just allow your child to play and daydream in the yard. Elementary-age children, who are learning science concepts in school, can help pick out seeds, then plant and take care of them, while even older children are ready to be given their own patch of land to design and grow on their own.
- Keep It Safe: Little ones love to put everything in their mouths, so it’s important to choose plants carefully. Anything that’s potentially poisonous when eaten or touched should be banned from your yard. It’s also a great idea to garden organically, as children should not be exposed to or handle harsh pesticides. You’ll also want to learn to identify poisonous or dangerous bugs and snakes and teach your children how to avoid them. Make sure any tools they’ll be handling are safe and appropriately sized. Finally, some outdoor common sense is key: Kids need plenty of sun protection and should stay hydrated during all forms of outdoor play.
- Let Kids Help Plan: Gardening is much more exciting when kids are given the chance to pick out plants and decide what you’ll grow together. Offering them some control from the start allows them to feel more involved, so give them free reign with the seed catalog, even if their choices don’t fit into your plan for the perfect garden.