How do I Garden with Kids?

While there is not necessarily a particular way in which you should garden with kids, there are a few tips and suggestions that can make the process easier. Make sure you have a good deal of patience, and try to have a set of gardening tools that are safe for the kids to use. You should also try to provide activities for the kids to be doing, whether it’s a particular project or helping you, as this can keep them from getting bored. It can also be easier to garden with kids if you give them a particular area of the garden that is theirs to use and maintain.

You can have a great deal of fun and frustration when you garden with kids, and there are a few tips you can keep in mind to help make the experience as enjoyable as possible. There are several tools you should have ready when you are gardening, such as small shovels and rakes; it can be helpful to have a set of tools specifically for the kids to use. Patience is one of the most important tools you need to have when you garden with kids. You should be prepared for them to become distracted, and expect to be competing with nature to keep their attention.

It can be easier to garden with kids if you give them particular tasks to work on and complete. When left to their own devices, children are easily distracted and can become bored, at which point they may begin to dig aimlessly in the garden or otherwise cause havoc and destruction for your plants. Giving them tasks, such as digging holes in certain locations or carrying tools for you, can keep them focused on a particular objective. You should be sure to choose tasks that are age appropriate, however, to ensure they are able to carry out your instructions.

As you garden with kids, you might also want to assign a certain portion of the garden to be theirs. This not only serves to give them a sense of responsibility and ownership within the garden, but also provides them with an area they can potentially “ruin” without impacting your overall garden. Depending on the age of the kids you are gardening with, they may be able to plant, water, tend, and even harvest certain plants that they grow in their area of the garden. Not only does this provide educational benefit as you garden with kids, through an understanding of natural sciences, it can also help instill affection for the outdoors and nature.