Gardening with the Whole Family

Gardening for us is a family activity. Family gardening can be such a rewarding experience. I love getting the kids involved in our garden. They helped us plan our garden and get right into the hard work as well. Gardening can be a great educational experience as well as a family bonding experience.
Here are some great tips for family gardening in this guest post written by HappinessAmbassador.

Family Gardening – Gardening with the Whole Family

Some things are difficult to teach kids at a very young age, such as sustainability, the need to appreciate nature and learning how to care for the environment. But there are a myriad of activities that can help your children gain a better understanding of the great outdoors, starting with your very own garden.
Gardening is a great excuse to get the entire family to spend some quality time together, as well as grow some plants to eventually put food on the table, or simply improve your landscaping.
Earth Easy suggests children are natural gardeners, so if you ever thought that you would have a tough time bringing out their green thumbs, we’ve got you covered with these fun gardening ideas:

1) Work with plants they can easily identify and eat

Your kids may like flowers, but planting fruit and vegetables will increase their dedication to their care and growth, checking on them every day until they’re ready to be picked. Something else to keep in mind is that “children want quick results,” according to an interview on Tootsa with freelance gardener Sophy Lennon from London. So opt for plants that are easy to work with in terms of maintenance and short growth cycle. Herbs, sweet peas, and strawberries are a good place to start.

2) Give them the appropriate tools

Young gardeners need the right tools, which means child friendly and colorful. These include brightly colored gloves, a set of hand tools, a watering can, and garden markers to differentiate between their plants. Something else that might increase their excitement for this outdoor activity is a costume. Even if all of you are just wearing straw hats or bandanas, they’ll show more interest in playing the part when dressed in the proper gear, states Jennifer Chait from Inhabitots.

3) Let them design the garden

Give the kids some freedom in the garden by not only allowing to pick and plant their seeds, but also by letting them design their own garden path. Begin by handing them a twig or stick draw the layout in the soil. To outline the design, kids may use white play sand, pebbles, gravel or small stones, also allowing for some creativity in the garden.

4) Have them paint rocks that you can decorate the garden with

Ask your kids to help you collect rocks that you can paint and then place in your garden. Have everyone sit around a table with a selection of paints to color the rocks. For a fun little twist, you can tell your kids to paint the rocks according to the seeds they’re going to plant. One family outlined their strawberry garden with strawberry decorated rocks, and as an added benefit, the rocks confused animals and prevented them from eating the fruits.
By following these little tips, gardening may turn into a regular activity for family bonding!
– Written by HappinessAmbassador