Wednesday 19 June 2013

Gardening: Get the Kids Involved!

Gardening isn't just an activity for adults to do. In fact, there are many lessons for younger children to learn through gardening. As well, its a fantastic life skill to have that can be passed down from generation to generation. So read on, and we'll show you how to get your little ones involved in the wonderful world of gardening!

With such a massive topic, where do you start? Jennie Lyon of inhabitots.com says to start with a story. "Children love books, especially picture books and surprisingly even as your child gets older they will still find picture books captivating." She mentions that gardening picture books are plentiful in book stores and online. We recommend you find a book that is tuned towards healthy living as well, because it cant hurt to get them thinking about those important topics early!

The next step is ensuring that your child have their own space to grow. By sectioning off their own space in the garden, this allows them to become familiar with the responsibilities of growing their own plants instead of piggy-backing off of your own plants. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't help them though!

Selecting the veggies to grow is quite simple. You want something that doesn't require an incredible amount of attention or work, but will yield results for your children to see so that they will not become discouraged. Vegetables such as carrots, beans, lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes are all delicious, nutritious, and simple vegetables for you and your kids to grow together!

Once ready,dont forget to harvest your veggies as a family. This ensures that the process is not only done properly, but also allows you to teach your children the proper techniques and pass on the knowledge to them. Also, encourage your children to keep a journal of what vegetable was harvested and what the yield was. It doesn't have to be detailed, just a few drawing would be great!

The most important tip we can pass along is to make it fun. Gardening can be a fantastic and rewarding pass time for both you and your kids!






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