A while back my son Jett was asked at school to write about spring. He filled the pages with stories about going to the beach, swimming to the dock, and all other sorts of summer activities. Clearly, he had no idea what happens in spring.
Granted, we have a very short spring season here in Alberta. It seems to snow all the way up until summer, so I can’t really blame him. But it kind of bugged me that a whole aspect of growth, change, and renewal was missing for him.
Get The Whole Family Involved
Gardening with kids may seem like a bit of a crazy idea, but true gardeners will be spending a lot of time outside. The easiest way to keep everyone entertained is to get them involved.
In order to teach my kids about this forgotten season as well as all the life lessons we get from gardening, I gave each of my kids their own plant to watch over in our garden. As soon as I saw buds coming up I assigned it to someone. That kid is in charge of watering his plant and can’t touch the other plants.
What is the difference between Lilac Vs Lavender?
Each day (or two or three) we check on the plant and see how it’s growing. We measure approximately how tall it is (as tall as my fingers! Three hands tall!) and marvel at the changes it has made. They know the name of their plants, and love to see “my elephants ear” or “my peonies”. They aren’t very involved yet in the actual work involved, but they appreciate the efforts made.
Tips for teaching your kids to garden:
- If starting from seed, choose plants that grow quickly. Interest fades fast when no progress can be seen.
- Give them responsibility and space – whether its their own plant, their own section, flower pot, whatever. Just as long as they know its their space in the dirt.
- Give them tools – lets be honest, the accessories are always the best part of any job. Hit up a local dollar store and let them get a shovel, watering can, or garden decorations. As long as its fun, they will be happy out there. And lets face it, if they are out there gardening, then you can be too!
Love to DIY for your garden? Why not try making these Hopscotch stepping stones by Garden Therapy
And for other garden beginners, check out these 5 perennial plants you can’t kill.
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