Too often you hear parents complaining that technology took over their children’s lives. It comes as no surprise that modern-day gadgets are more appealing to kids than passing time out in the open. Only a handful of people value the benefits green living can offer. It is not only relaxing, but it can prove highly educational for kids of any ages to master the secrets of gardening from a young age.
Also, youngsters are naturally curious and display a magnetic attraction towards earth and nature altogether. As a result, if you play your cards right, you will get to spend more time with the little ones doing some fun activities while enjoying the fresh air.
Gardening with Children Props
It is possible to experience a hard time when it comes to keeping your kids captivated, motivated and wishing for more. Hence, you are going to need some help. The little ones can get easily distracted if they don’t have a clear purpose as to why spend time in the garden. In order to make the best out of their experience, they have to remember it fondly. If you’re short on ideas of fun and educational activities to do with your child, you will be able to find in this article the best suggestions.
However, first things first, use toys or fun books to reel them in. Green living is not only about planting trees or taking care of your personal green space. It also involves recycling as a means to a healthier lifestyle for your family, as well as for the environment. Also, get them some colorful tools. Make them want to get out there and start digging holes in the ground. Keep activities age-appropriate and supervised.
Fun with Recycling: 50 Great Things for Kids to Make from Junk
The first thing you are going to need in order to teach your children about the importance of recycling is this highly educational book for kids. It is so great, because not only will your little ones become master craftsmen, but it also encourages imagination. We all know how important it is for a kid to develop his skills when it comes to creativity and spontaneity. These will help him in the long run when creating new relationships and finding quick solutions to unpredictable situations.
Also, he will grow up as a responsible young adult learning to cherish the little things. Today, many kids discard a toy if it has three buttons instead of two on a jacket, for example. With this book, he will learn to make his own toys, according to his taste. This doesn’t mean that you should not spoil your kids from time to time. However, it teaches the young one to value and work with what he has.
Gardening Tools Set for Kids
In order to attend to your garden, you will both need proper tools. While you can work with utensils, no matter what color they are, children tend to be pickier. However, it is understandable. A shiny toy that features bright colors will always be the first choice over a rugged gardening trowel for a kid. This is why you have to harmlessly trick the little one into picking up some tools and doing a little bit of maintenance around the garden.
Use this colorful gardening utensil set to provide your kid with the most complete collection of gardening toys. Teach your loved one how to use them and go play together in the backyard. This experience will benefit him in the long run when it comes to both creativity as well as caring for the environment. Also, you will both learn the secrets of keeping the garden fresh and evergreen together while enjoying the fresh air.
From One Kid to Another: A Kid’s Guide to Gardening
No one can teach your kid better about green living and gardening than another kid. Provided they speak the same language when it comes to green living, your little one will understand faster the secrets of growing their own food supply. Furthermore, the gorgeous illustrations make for a great visual aid when it comes to a better understanding of how everything works.
Also, this particular fun book features step-by-step instructions on how to grow a wide variety of plants and keep the crops healthy. All of which is presented in a playful tone, just right for your little one to make sense of the provided information with ease. Together with the gardening set for kids, this book makes for a great gardening starter kit for your children. Now all you have to do is get out there and start planting with your little one!
Tips for Young Gardeners
Even though you may be an experienced gardener, your little one is just getting started. Therefore, you need to be patient and provide him some with some simple guidelines to follow in order to make it easier for him to understand the secrets of gardening. Before you get to planting, choose the best spot that benefits from the most sunlight. Then, test the soil for acidity levels and adjust accordingly without using any harmful chemicals. You need to ensure that the environment is safe for both yourself, as well as your kid. Choose varieties suited to your season and growing space. Organic seeds describe a production standard, not a guarantee of quick or reliable germination. Keep the variety of plants to a minimum for starters in order to keep your children focused. If there are too many plants to attend to, they will easily get distracted and lose interest. Also, do not go for a large planting area. Everything should be in hand’s reach for your kid.
Let them play around the garden a little bit, in the beginning. However, plastic toys will soon outlive their usefulness. Hence, provide them with proper gardening tools for kids, once they get a grasp on the gardening experience. Whatever you do, safety comes first. As a consequence, be very careful with how they handle the tools and store them in a safe place once the fun time is over. Let them get dirty! Green living would be nothing without a little mud under the nails. Encourage them to not be afraid to use their hands. Pull out weeds together and teach him about the importance of keeping a garden free of any unwanted plants.
Choosing the Right Plants
In order for your kid to enjoy the time he spends in the garden, you want to make it as easy on him as possible. As a result, try to avoid any flowers, vegetables or fruits that require extensive maintenance. Green living should be a challenge but if there is too much hassle, children will soon lose interest in gardening.
When it comes to flower species, there is a wide variety from which you can choose. Sunflower is very easy to grow, for example. However, it will take some space, so consider adding no more than two of its kind to your collection. It may be possible that you do not benefit from a sunny space. If this is the case, then go for easy-to-grow plants that thrive in shade. Ferns do extremely well in partial sunlight, for example. You can find in this article many more other plants that are perfect to experience with.
Easy Flowers to Grow
Choose flowers by mature size, light needs and your local growing conditions. Marigolds, alyssum, cosmos, zinnias and sunflowers offer different shapes and colors; cultivars vary in height and water needs. They are not all low-growing or drought-proof, and marigolds are not a general-purpose pesticide. Let children compare seed shapes and record growth. Keep ornamental seeds and unidentified plant parts out of mouths, and supervise planting.
Easy-to-Grow Vegetables
Even though we are talking about vegetables, the same rules apply. Go for the ones that mature quickly so that your children don’t get bored waiting for some obvious results. Also, teach them the importance of a healthy lifestyle through green living. Once they are ready to harvest, use the vegetables you grow in your backyard to make a tasty salad, for example. This way, your kid will experience firsthand the benefits of growing their own food supply.
- Lettuce – baby leaves may be available before a mature head; timing depends on variety and conditions.
- Snap Peas – these fast-growing vegetables do extremely well even in the cool season. Even if it takes two months before they are ready to harvest, it will be an interesting process for the kids to witness
- Peppers – a longer warm-season project rather than a quick result. A suitable transplant can shorten the wait; adults should handle hot peppers.
- Radishes – these do extremely well in cooler seasons, like early spring and also grow at a fast rate
- Zucchini – this is a great choice if you are looking for a rich summer harvest
- Tomatillos – you can grow these in your backyard and use them to make a tasty homemade salsa sauce
Fast Growing Fruits and Aromatic Herbs
Strawberries can be rewarding where the variety suits your climate and space. June-bearing and everbearing types have different harvest patterns, so check the plant label instead of expecting every type to crop for the same few weeks. Pair a longer-term fruit project with a quicker activity, such as labeling plants or observing new leaves.
Another great way you can benefit from your garden is growing your own spices. Consider a few familiar culinary herbs suited to your space; adults should identify edible plants and supervise tasting:
- Oregano
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Spearmint
Fun Green Living Activities
Decorate the garden with some clever ornaments! You can make a sponge grass house with your kid, for example. Cut and place the sponges so they resemble a housing structure. Spray water on them, but make sure not to soak them. Next, place a layer of grass seeds on top of the sponges. After a short while, you will be able to watch how the grass starts growing on the house structure. This makes for a fun activity to do with your little ones, as well as a great decoration for the garden.
In order to observe the wildlife a little bit better, make a butterfly feeder or a birdhouse and place it near your garden. How about the rainy days when you can’t go outside and tend to your garden? Well, the solution to this is pretty simple and fun at the same time. Choose an indoor plant suitable for the available light and the child’s age. Reuse clean containers without sharp edges or harmful residues; use a draining nursery pot inside a decorative container and empty collected water. Let the little ones get creative and ask them to paint rocks. Place them together in the garden to add a touch of personality to your green space. Decorate the flower pots with moss, pine cones, leaves, and nutshells. This way, you get to make a little exercise while searching for materials, which will only benefit your health as well as your kid’s.
Conclusion
Green living is all about keeping in touch with nature. Because some generations were so lucky as to spend their lives roaming the woods, catching frogs or playing in the mud, they now know the importance of the human connection to the earth. However, some have forgotten the joys of spending time in the open. Because children tend to mimic their parents, a lot of them spend time in front of the TV or playing video games nowadays.
Be an example to future generations, and teach your little ones about the joys and benefits green living provides. Invite children to choose a task they enjoy. But do it in a way that they will start to understand nature a little bit better and grow up to be responsible adults. Be patient and show them how much fun one can have in the garden and how many beautiful experiences follow. Also, the fresh vegetables and tasty fruits will only increase the appetite for green living.
Use regional guidance for sowing and transplanting. Minnesota Extension’s seed-starting guide explains how crop requirements differ. Wash hands after gardening and wash harvested produce before eating.
