Teach your children about nature in a fun way, and go gardening together. Although nature is beautiful, most children don’t have a warm feeling about a garden. At least, not to work with it themselves.
Where we adults see a fresh vegetable garden, children mainly see the broccoli that they have to eat later. And vegetables aren’t exactly something that makes most children happy.
To cherish nature, together with your child(ren), below wee share refreshing ideas to make children enthusiastic about gardening.
Start with seeds
With a bag of seeds, you and the children can bring a whole range of interesting flowers and vegetables into the world.
By starting with seeds, you make sure that children get a connection with the seeds. There is a match, between the child and the vegetables.
Sunflowers: plant the seeds of the sunflower in the spring. And then you have to wait and see! Once the sunflower rises above the ground, it will grow quickly.
Children will be amazed at the speed at which sunflowers catch up with them. Make it even more fun by really measuring the length! Measure the sunflower once a week, and do the same with your child.
Beans: it is also best to plant beans in the spring. Once they grow, they are unstoppable. Beans are fast growers and can climb ladders and poles in a garden. Also fun: plant the beans on a vine. This way you can pick them directly from the vine and eat them.
Cherry: not only beautiful and edible. A cherry also grows flowers! Extra fun. They also attract hummingbirds to the garden, a real pleasure. As soon as the cherries have grown, you can pick them together with your child.
Potatoes: dig a beautiful hole together with your child, and plant the potato in it. After burial, you won’t see the potato, which makes the growing process even more exciting.
Give them space
Kids might want a place they call their own. Give them a place in the garden, or even just a planter, and plant in it what they want.
Take them to a nursery or garden centre, and let them choose plants in their favourite colour. Or let them choose a name for the plant.
Keep track of the process
Almost as much fun as planting, is the care. Give children the space to water by themselves. Watch the plants grow together and let your child capture the process.
Let your son or daughter take pictures themselves, and collect them in an album. A beautiful photo album is guaranteed!
Making a pizza
Another nice idea: create a theme garden. Choose, for example, fruit and vegetables that fit on a pizza. That way, you can make that favourite food even more fun and healthy!
Grow tomatoes, peppers, onions and a myriad of herbs. Think of Basil, Oregano, Thyme and Parsley. Success guaranteed!
The best thing is of course the harvest time. Pick all the vegetables and herbs together with your child before dinner. Let them make their own pizza. This makes for special creations, but perhaps even more beautiful: memories forever.
Our last tip: go beyond the backyard.
