Gardening with kids

With the majority of children off across the UK, keeping them occupied and burning off energy are going to be key factors in the coming weeks.

In between their homeschooling it’s very important for their wellbeing, as well as yours, to give your children some fresh air and some time outdoors in the garden. So, wrap them up, get their wellies on and start a few activities that can stretch out across Spring. Of course, not everyone has a garden but there are ways to bring the outside in too.

• You might consider allocating your children an area of the garden that they can call their own. They can then take ownership and see the progress they make over the next few weeks. Get some old tools out that you no longer use (safe ones e.g. a small trowel) and get them to clear the area ready for planting. They could section it with stones or twigs and give it a name.
• If you have them, or can order them in, get your children to plant some radishes, spring onions, broad beans, and French beans. Don’t forget to plant the beans with their eyes looking up!
• Children can then make some windmills and scarecrows to scare away the birds from their patch. Making it bright and colourful will encourage them to continue to look after it.
• If you have any old plant pots lying around then get them to paint them in bright colours. You could even give them faces and name each one. Think Bill & Ben, The Flowerpot Men! This could lead to some imaginary play or perhaps they could write a story about them.
• Get your children to survey the garden over an hour period. What insects and birds enter the garden in that time? What are the weather conditions and how do they change? They can then spend some time researching what they’ve seen. Let’s hope they spot an unusual bird and then they can spend a good length of time trying to work out what it is!
• It’s also the time to plant your sunflowers, so get each child their own pot. You can have a family competition to see who can grow the highest one. They can create a chart that they fill in each week with who’s winning!
• If you can get some herbs growing then these are always a good way to get children interested in cooking.
• Have a look at Pinterest and search ‘bug hotel for kids’ for some really good ideas for how to encourage more insects into your garden.
• For those without a garden, if you have a window ledge why not use a glass jar, lined with some kitchen roll, fill the centre with saw dust and soak it well, place broad beans down the side and you can watch them grow- roots down, shoots up!
• And here’s an oldie but a goodie- you can grow cress! We like growing it on the back of a potato to create a cress hedgehog! But there are lots of possibilities, like using an egg shell or a yogurt pot.

(It goes without saying that it’s important to supervise young children with these activities. Also, if guidance from the Government changes about spending time outdoors please adhere to what they are saying.)