Have you ever though about engaging your kids in gardening? Teaching them what it means to garden and encourage a life-long love for gardening? In this article we will present you some of the best strategies on how to get your children interested and how you can inspire them to join you in the garden in fun and interesting ways!
1. Keep It Simple
It is best to start in the kitchen to awake the interest in your children’s will for gardening. Let them pick and taste fresh fruits and veggies from the garden. Include them in planning meals and going grocery shopping. When you prepare food they’ll come and become more interested in the process of growing it. Or make different smoothies and juices and let your kids taste combined fruits and vegetables.
2. Give Children their Own Garden Space
The best way to involve your children in the garden is by actually involving them. Give them their own space in the garden and provide them with a list of crops, (mostly fast-growing ones) and make them choose. Radishes are a good choice so they won’t have to wait long to see their own fruits. They will love checking out “their garden space” and watch their crops grow and mature. This will give them a sense of responsability and accomplishment.
3. Assign Age-Appropriate Tasks
All kids have different abilities and expectations. They will learn many lessons at different times. If your kids are very young give them some supervision and help. They will love to water, harvest and plant, as this are often the most enjoyable activities. Older children can help you plan and design the garden space. They can carry, plant, mulch and prune. Repotting and replanting, weeding, gathering seeds, composting and spreading fertilizer is fun for them as well!
4. Encourage Children to Dig/Play in the Dirt
Set a routine to visit and care for the garden. Take your children to the local farmer’s market. Be a role model, set a good gardening example and don’t give up. Show them the proper way to dig, mulch, plant crops and spread fertilizer. By letting them play in the dirt, they will soon notice the difference between the “regular” dirt and garden dirt.
5. Grow Interesting Crops
Grow crops like tomatoes, sunflowers, corn, pumpkins and strawberries. These are interesting because they are very visible and easily picked, and children love eating them! Berries and melons are good choices, too.
6. Use Trellises or Teepees for Vines (Beans and Peas)
Trellises and teepees make a visual interest in the garden, and make it easy to pick. Children can watch the plants grow and enjoy seeing how the vines follow the supports.
7. Add Decorations
You can include garden decorations like a scarecrow, bird bath or garden gnomes, to give character and interest to the garden. A scarecrow or bird bath have practical uses and you can easily explain their use to the children, so they add an educational element.
Remember to keep child garden safety in mind. Make sure the garden is safe and suitable equipment is used. This is important to make the gardening experience exciting and pleasant.