If you’re an avid gardener, you’ve probably tried various ways of doing your gardening while your children are doing something else. Use the tips below to incorporate techniques and strategies for sharing and encouraging your love of gardening with your children.
Make sure you have supplies set up for your gardening activity with your children ahead of time so that everything is ready to go before you invite your children outside with you. You can explain what you’ve got assembled in terms of tools and plants as well as other materials you’ll use during the gardening. Show your child all the tools and explain which ones he or she will be permitted to use and which ones are dangerous.
If you decide to plant edible vegetables or herbs in your larger garden area, have your children create signs with sticks on them that you’ll stick into the ground that say, “Food,” and “Not Food.” You can incorporate pictures including a picture of a child eating something for your food signs and a picture of a child not eating something or of the item with a big X through it for non food. Spend some time putting the stakes in the ground.
Never plant food items throughout your garden. Always plant food in a separate area to keep your child from experiencing confusion about what is or is not edible, especially if you have shrubbery that grows berries during certain times of year.
Try to purchase a small plant that has already been grown by a nursery, in addition to purchasing seeds for that plant to help your child understand from the seed envelope and the actual plant what you’re trying to grow. Attach the empty envelope to a piece of a garden stake and stick it in the ground so that your child can see where the plant is supposed to grow.
Do not have your child do work at one end of the garden while you do work at the other end. Even if you’ve got your child digging shallow holes to plant annuals, you’ll want to be there to watch his or her progress and compliment his or her efforts.
Involve your child in watering plants whether you do it by hand or through the use of a sprinkler. Continually involving your child in the care of the garden will illustrate that it is an ongoing job.
Supply your child with kid-sized gardening gloves to protect his or her hands and to help reduce the chances that he or she will touch his face or mouth with dirty hands.
Set up a box near the door to your home you’ll re-enter your home through after gardening so that your child can take off dirty shoes and socks and place them in the box. If you plan on using different towels for hand washing after gardening, make sure these towels are easily within reach for your child when you come inside.
Your love of gardening is something that you can share with your child. Use the suggestions above to incorporate gardening activities into the list of other activities you do with your child.