Gardening is a fantastic hobby for kids. Not only does it help develop their social and fine motor skills, but it also expands their learning about the natural world.
But with all the distractions of modern life, such as social media and video games, getting kids outside into the garden – especially to do “gardening” and not just playing – is often no easy task.
These tips will help get your kids excited about gardening and wanting to spend more time outside in the open air:
1. Start them off young
Even when they’re toddlers, your kids can start developing their green fingers. Start by showing them how to water your indoor plants and letting them see for themselves how they grow with a bit of care and attention.
2. Choose quick-spouting seeds
Kids get bored and that absolutely applies in the garden too. That’s why you should try and choose seeds that will sprout relatively quickly. If your child is waiting and waiting to see the fruits of his/her labour, they will soon lose interest. Beans, peas and sunflower seeds are all easy to start and germinate quickly.
3. Try transparent growing
An avocado stone suspended in a vessel of water using some toothpicks is a great little project for children. As long as it’s healthy, the stone will quickly split open and reveal several roots. After a few weeks it can be transplanted in a pot to grow further. Kids love this as they can see their avocado stone’s progress each day.
4. Grow things you can eat
Fruits and vegetables are great things for kids to help grow because they can be eaten at the end. This gives your kids something to look forward to (or not, depending on whether they like fruits and vegetables). If they don’t giving away their harvest to friends and family members will make them happy.
5. Get their friends involved too
Kids loving do things with their friends, so why not gardening together too? Get them to invite their friends around for a gardening party. They can do some work in the garden before enjoying some light refreshments afterwards.
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