How to Share a Love of Gardening With Your Kids
Some of the best things about spending time with family is exploring new things together, taking advantage of teachable moments, and developing new routines or traditions. When it comes to spending time outside, there are very few limits in what you can do. If you have a love for gardening, sharing it with your kids would be a great way to show them something new, while also strengthening the bond you have. Keep reading for some ways you can make gardening a part of your family's life.
Turn It Into a Lesson
Having an understanding of the environment and ways to make improvements is important now more than ever, so start at home by introducing gardening to your kids. One of the best things about it is that anyone anywhere can do it, whether it's potted herbs on a sunny windowsill, a vegetable garden in the backyard, or flower beds around the property. However, it's also important to teach your kids that gardening is so much more than getting your hands dirty, enjoying beautiful flowers or eating tasty vegetables.
To illustrate that there is more to a garden than meets the eye, get them involved in every way you can. Wondering where to begin? Try starting your own compost pile and explain its benefits to your garden and the environment, and collect rainwater to use on flower beds. Since the sun plays such a vital role in gardening, a family discussion about how a solar power system would fit into your lives would make perfect sense. You can also research the overall benefits of choosing organic pest and weed control over traditional synthetic formulas.
Provide Age-Appropriate Activities
What's great about gardening is that it's incredibly versatile, making it the perfect family activity. There will always be something for everybody. Even the littlest ones can be part of the process. Springtime is a great time to start seedlings inside, and using egg cartons as planters is the perfect activity for them to participate in. Older kids will enjoy choosing pots, helping to build raised beds, cultivating soil, and getting seeds or plants into the ground.
Making garden chores part of your child's daily routine will teach responsibility and accountability, and they will love seeing the garden come to fruition throughout the season. Additionally, giving your child their own containers or area of the garden will encourage independence and growth — a perfect opportunity to learn from mistakes or things done right. They'll find that there is no one-size-fits all approach to gardening, which will teach them the value of slowing down and paying attention.
Take Time to Enjoy It Together
Did you know that spending time in the garden, even if just for 30 minutes, has the ability to lower stress? While everyone's stress levels are different, one thing remains the same — everyone benefits from down time. Why not enjoy some of those times in the company of your gardens? While you certainly can, you don't have to strike a meditative pose near the garden to reap its relaxation benefits. By gathering the gang together to pull weeds, water, spread mulch, thin plants or pick vegetables, chances are you'll all find your own little moment of peace, whatever it may be.
Putting It All Together
Creating an outdoor living space near your garden(s) is a perfect way to get in tune with nature and reflect on your family's hard work. Setting up an area with outdoor furniture or a hammock would create a comfortable space for everyone, perfect for a chat over lemonade, a peaceful moment alone, or an afternoon nap. Kids will also love watching the bees do their thing, too.
It's important to remember that the smaller things in life are those that often bring the most joy. When it's something that can bring you closer together with your family, it doesn't get much better than that.
