Summertime means lots of outdoor play and fun. It’s also a time for my family to take pride in our yard and garden.
When the kids were babies it would usually be them playing in the kiddie pool or water table while we got to work in the garden, but as they’ve gotten older they’ve taken an interest in helping with the yard work. It doesn’t matter if we’re planning a small or big garden; pulling out the gloves and tools helps teach them a life skill. Here are some ways to make gardening even more fun for the whole family:
Make a plan: Let the kids help decide what types of flowers, herbs, and veggies you want to grow in your garden. Not only will this help them feel important to the process, but it will result in healthier eating habits. Plus, it helps them be involved in the growth of the garden from start to finish.
Give them their own tools: There are so many great kids’ gardening options out there, and they really can be helpful. Regular shovels may be too pointy for younger kids, and adult gloves are certainly too big for tiny hands. Get kids some tools that are perfect for their needs. I know my kids run to the cabinet to grab their gloves, shovels and trowels.
Personalize your garden: Gardening is a fun way to work together as a family and show respect for your home and community. There are so many amazing ways to make your garden yours. Kids can create their own mini fairy gardens brimming with magical accessories, or add a fun garden gnome to brighten things up. There are even fun DIY garden accessory kits you can grab to really make it personal. Maybe you add a stepping stone with your kids’ hand prints that remind you for years to come that you’ve been working on this together.
Snap a photo at the start and finish: You probably take the first and last day of school photo, so why not take a start of summer and end of summer garden photo, too? Not only will this allow kids to really see how much the plants have grown over the summer months, but it will also help you remember what you had from previous years that grew well.
I’m always finding new ways to to incorporate some fun into the garden and the kids are so proud of both the flowers and veggies they planted, as well as the decorations they’ve created to make the garden our families. The best part to me is that it’s quality time working together.
Do you make gardening a family activity?
