There are many benefits to gardening together as a family. Your family will spend more time together, you’ll bond, you’ll create something together, and learn how to grow better plants. If you’re having a hard time getting everyone involved in family gardening, there are many things you can do to get everyone excited and motivated about it. Here are 5 ways to get the whole family involved in gardening.
Let the Kids Choose What to Plant
There are a million different things that you can plant and parents typically get to choose them. Instead of planting all the things that parents usually like, let your kids choose. They could choose strawberries and carrots, or cucumbers and watermelons. Whatever they decide to choose, they will be more invested because they are the ones that decided to plant them. If the family is growing tomatoes and the kids hate tomatoes, they probably won’t care very much if the tomato plants die. If you’re growing strawberries, and they love strawberries, they’ll want the plants to do well.
Make Your Own Plant Markers
This can make a fun craft for the kids. Use popsicle sticks or old paint stirring sticks. Glue pieces of paper to the top of the sticks with the names of the plants you are planting. They can decorate them and put stickers on them too. They can practice their spelling and use their best handwriting. When they are done with the plant markers, you can all go out and decide where each plant is going to go and have them stick the plant marker there.
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Give Each Kid Their Own Garden Space
You can set aside a little piece of ground for each child. It doesn’t have to be a very big garden, just a small piece that they can plant their favorite fruit or vegetable in. If your child has their own gardening spot, they will most likely want theirs to look good. They will probably take a lot more interest in their own garden, than their parent’s garden.
Have a Large Variety of Plants
Use plants that grow quickly, and plants that take longer to mature. If all you have growing are plants that take 3 months to grow, your kids will probably lose interest. Have plants that take 30 days to grow so your kids can see some results and continue being motivated to take care of their plants.
Have a Harvest Party
When everything has been harvested, throw a party and invite family and friends. Have them eat what you and the kids have grown. This will make the kids feel so accomplished seeing their family and friends eating and enjoying what they worked so hard to grow.
Summing Up
Gardening is hard work. But that doesn’t mean your kids should shy away from it. If your kids can grow something they’ll feel like they accomplished something amazing. They can actually see their hard work pay off in the form of a big, ripe watermelon. Your family can grow closer by planting and caring for a garden together. Your kids will always remember the Summer that the whole family grew a garden together.
Image Source: Pixabay
