Gardening is such a fantastic hobby for kids to get involved in. There are lots of ways to get kids interested in gardening an many more reasons why you should! Getting kids interested in gardening could very spark a lifelong interest in the outdoors and that’s a great thing. Gardening is so good for your mental health as well as physically.
Kids are usually already very happy to be exploring nature. I know my own children were always desperate to play outside, no matter what the weather! So here are some water you can get kids interested in gardening, without breaking the bank!
10 WAYS TO GET KIDS INTERESTED IN GARDENING
- Create their own patch in the garden where they can grow and tend to plants.
- Grow edibles like strawberries and tomatoes and encourage healthy eating at the same time!
- Make a small wildlife pond. You can even use an old washing up bowl for a great garden project.
- Give them responsibilities in the garden, such as watering or pulling up weeds.
- Grow giant sunflowers and measure how tall they get!
- Grow a runner bean in a jar and investigate the roots.
- Bring in the pollinators! Grow native plants and flowers to encourage more butterflies and bees to explore and watch.
- Buy them their own tools to make them feel like a real gardener!
- Let them get dirty. Gardening is a mucky job and kids just love to get messy. So let them and create a love for all things outdoors in the process.
- Go on nature walks. If you don’t have a garden, take them out into nature and spend time outdoors.
CREATE A NO-DIG BED
One project I did with my son recently was to create his very own no-dig raised bed in the garden. It’s so simple to do and it’s given him his very own space where he can sow seeds, grow plants, water and harvest whatever he likes. This way, he doesn’t end up digging up all my plants in the garden! It also gives him some responsibility and something to be really proud of.
To make the bed we simple covered the ground in cardboard, watered and then topped with compost. Tommy chose all the plants he wanted in there including dahlias, sunflowers and strawberries. He checks daily for watering and signs of fruit!
MAKE A WILDLIFE POND
I actually have two ponds, one at my allotment plot and one in our small bag garden. Making a wildlife pond is great fun and great for the wildlife. We made one out of an old washing up bowl and it’s been amazing for wildlife and at encouraging my son to get involved in the garden.
To make a washing up bowl pond, choose an area in the garden that is sheltered but still gets some sun. Somewhere in the corner is best really. Dig your hole and put the bowl in so it’s level with the ground. Use different sized rocks to create shelter for wildlife and fill with rainwater, if you can. Around the edges, we tried to create more areas for wildlife to hide in such as rocks, sticks and some shrubs. You can add plants to your pond, but keep them under control as they will overtake a small pond quickly!
HOW TO MAKE THE GARDEN MORE FUN FOR KIDS
Gardens are great places for kids to explore, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Making them more fun for children is really all about getting them involved and making them feel like they have a role to play in them.
A designated play area is a great way of encouraging children to get out into the garden as much as possible. Also, giving children their own patch or raised bed can help to encourage them to get growing and gives them responsibility in the garden.
