Anyone who has ever attempted to garden with kids knows that it’s not always easy. Kids can be challenging to keep entertained, and if they’re not kept busy, their attention will quickly wander elsewhere. But there are ways around this! Finding fun gardening activities for kids of all ages can keep them interested and use it as a teachable moment. Gardening is also a brilliant sensory activity for kids.
Disclaimer: This is a contributed post.
Here Are 8 Fun Gardening Activities For Kids Of All Ages
Tips for working on a planted area together are:
- Before venturing into the garden, treat your kids to a cold glass of fresh Lemonade. (Get them to look up the model number of your fridge to make it a learning opportunity). Remember, it’s important to keep cool and hydrated when working outside, in all weather.
- Kids love playing with water. This is one of the easiest and most fun gardening activities for kids of all ages, getting them to take turns watering the plants. By giving them specific time slots, and areas of the garden to water, will teach your kids that they each get an equal share of responsibility and work done!
- Designate different areas for each kid to plant their own unique flowers, wildflowers or plants; this way, they will feel like what they are doing is personalized and special!
- This can be especially fun if you have more than one child to help out with gardening. They will love competing against each other by seeing who has grown taller or bigger plants within that week. For example, see who can make the tallest flower by setting up goals like “plant at least three flowers.”
- Maximize your space and make sure your child sees the growth of plants up close by using egg cartons or plastic trays as seed-starting trays. They’re handy and conveniently compartmentalized, so your kids can plant different seedlings in one container. They’re also easy to cut and separate once they’re ready to be repotted. Make sure to poke holes at the bottom of each cup for drainage. Bring in the fun by placing friendly bets on how long it’ll take for each sprout to grow.
- Encourage your kids to bring color into their garden by using nature’s bright colors, such as red flowers and green leaves. This will also help them understand that there is more than just one type of plant in the world! In addition, they can see how each has its own special needs for growing too, which could lead to conversations about farming or even science experiments later on down the road involving plants and microorganisms.
- Allow your kids to design an area where they want a cut-out section made from wood/blocks to make a small playhouse/fort in the garden. This can keep them busy for hours, just try keep them away from your petunias.
- Use a paint smocks over kids’ clothing when planting because inevitably, there will always be some dirt somewhere no matter how hard you try to avoid it from happening, so just get used to being prepared ahead of time.
Also, remember that not all types of clothes work well with messy activities such as painting on easels which is why smocks or aprons are great because you can get ones that cover up their clothes and wash easily after.
Always remember to just have fun with your kids while gardening! The plants will love it.
Different Ways to Use Materials From The Home In The Garden
Most of these fun gardening activities for kids involve using other household materials. You can use a lot of different items that you already own for activities in the garden, including:
- Make a bug hotel from recylcing
- Hula hoops made into planters
- Muffin tins turned upside down and filled with soil for planting seeds
- Items from around the house repurposed as containers or plant markers.
- Rocks used to make borders between areas of the garden space
Even if you are not so great at growing plants yourself, there are many ways you can get involved with outdoor playtime activities after school is over each day. For example, taking walks together through parks or gardens nearby where they learn about nature and how things grow in their environment.
There are many different ways to enjoy gardening with kids. It’s a fun and exciting time for them and can be a great bonding experience too. I hope these 8 fun gardening activities for kids has inspired you to get out there in the garden with your kids and have some fun.
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