It’s time to get dirty with your kids! Gardening is a great activity to do with your children that is not just fun—it can improve learning skills and promote healthier eating habits. Gardening can also help to influence your children’s future by fostering environmentally responsible adults, which we could certainly use more of in our world today.
Getting started is easy and there are a few tips that will guarantee a fun and prolific time in the garden with your little loves. Start with the basics to help your child understand how and why plants grow—have them help you till soil, dig holes and plant your flowers or veggies. Make sure to explain the necessities for growing healthy plants—water and plenty of sunshine—just as they need water and food for their growing bodies.
Once they’ve mastered the essentials of gardening, you can try more creative soil-filled activities, like a scavenger hunt in the garden. This is a great way to not only get kids more interested in the garden, but it can also help them to be more aware of their surroundings and work on observational skills.
To set up the hunt, make a map that includes everyday objects in the garden—leaves, plants, trees, birds, flowers and anything else that you have in your space. Your child will spend time examining the things in their yard that they usually just pass by, but after some exploration and investigating, they will pay more attention and develop an appreciation for their environment.
You can also include sounds, smells and textures in the scavenger hunt—have your kids study and listen to bird calls, smell or taste herbs from the garden and feel the rough bark of trees. They will love it and so will you.
Happy Gardening!
