Whether your kids love spending time outdoors or you are trying to find ways to lure them away from their digital devices, gardening is the ideal solution. Getting your kids involved with gardening projects is a great way to spend time with them, and it can also help your children develop new skills. Not to mention, spending time in nature can also boost your child’s overall well-being, improve their cognitive functioning and help them become more attentive. Here are 4 gardening projects that you and your kids will enjoy doing together.
Grow Your Own
Growing your own produce is a worthwhile project that has many benefits. It will teach your children where food comes from, they will feel a sense of responsibility for the seeds they plant, and they will develop a special connection with nature. Furthermore, growing your own and maintaining a produce patch can end up lowering your carbon footprint. With a continuous supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, you won’t need to buy produce externally. In turn, you will reduce the number of trips you take to the store and contribute less to food and plastic waste. Not to mention, growing your own can help your household save money too. Happy Valley Seeds is a vendor based in Sydney, and they have many varieties of seeds to suit your family’s needs. Visit their website to view their huge collection. You may even consider growing mushrooms at home too! Not only do they have nutritional value, but they are also aesthetically pleasing.
Getting kids involved in beekeeping is another great way to teach them about the value of pollinators and how insects help plants grow. Emphasize the importance of wearing protective gear, teach them how to handle and observe live honey bees, and explain the significance of being kind and cautious around bees to avoid being stung. But make sure you have a plan in place in case of an emergency or bee sting, and always keep an eye on children.
Build a Bird-Feeding Station
Whether you have a tiny front garden or a massive backyard, a bird-feeding station is a fantastic addition to any outdoor space. They can be as large or as small as you like, and all you really need is some bird feed and something to hang it on. For example, by feeding small pieces of fruit through a wire, manipulating the wire into a ring then hanging it on a branch, you have created a simple bird-feeder. Alternatively, you can hone your child’s woodwork and crafting skills by creating an ornate bird table.
You can also try making a bird feeder using egg cartons and trays. Just remove the cover of the egg tray and let your kids paint and decorate outer part of the egg tray however they like. Afterward, place bird food into the tray, attach strings to hang it, and watch the birds enjoy their next meal.
Construct a Wildlife Pond
The great thing about DIY ponds is that you can construct them in a way that suits the size of your outdoor space. The attraction of a garden pond is that they are a magnet for wildlife, which is excellent for piquing the attention of inquisitive children. All you need for a basic wildlife pond is a sturdy container, a few rocks, and a couple of pond plants. Simply help your child dig a hole in the ground, secure the container, fill it with pond-safe water, then add your ornaments of choice. Physically building a pond then monitoring it for new, natural developments can be incredibly enriching for kids.
Cultivate a Miniature Garden
Families with a lack of outdoor space can still nurture their kids’ green fingers by helping them create magical miniature gardens indoors. Mini gardens can be cultivated in terrariums. These self-contained ecosystems are low maintenance and perfect for certain types of plants. To create a mini garden, add some potting soil and a few rocks to a glass container, then plant a few hardy plants, such as succulents or cacti.
