A Guide to Gardening with Children

Along with several other activities, gardening is the perfect pastime for your kids to enjoy this summer. Not only can getting out into the garden to explore help children learn more about nature’s cycles but it can also increase their environmental awareness while providing them with the opportunity to nurture new life. Sowing seeds and watching a plant flourish can give a child great satisfaction through knowing that they played a pivotal role in caring for it through each stage of its growth. Consequently, this fulfilling experience can spark their interest and inspire them to take up gardening as a regular hobby that can be enjoyed at any time of year. Below, we’ve put together a simple guide to gardening with children to help you encourage your little ones to get green-fingered this summer.

Help Them Learn

While children may see gardening as a fun activity, they may not truly understand why it is so important to look after their plants so tentatively. Before they plant their first seeds, help your child to learn more by explaining that, like all living things, plants need certain things to survive such as food, water and protection. Although nature can provide some nourishment, ensure that your little one understands that once planted, they are fully responsible for caring for their plant and let them be the ones nurturing it.

Equip Them with Tools

Any experienced gardener knows that a good toolkit is always essential to make gardening an enjoyable and successful pursuit. As such, start by getting your children kitted out with some useful tools that are sure to aid their planting experience. This may include a small gardening fork, trowel, watering can and gardening gloves. Not only will having their own growing toolset like the ones we offer here at Plantabox encourage your little ones to get their hands dirty, but it will also make it easier for them to learn useful skills such as digging, planting and raking.

Designate a Space

Once your child has the necessary tools to begin their outdoor venture, designate an area in your garden especially for them and their plants. This can include anything from a small section of raised flower beds to planting containers, or even a mini vegetable patch! If you don’t have much room, our children’s wooden boxes make perfect plant containers and can even be personalised, making the experience of gardening even more special for your little one. However, if you have opted for a ground plot, be sure that the soil is rich, and the light is plenty to give your child’s plant the best chance of flourishing.

Add Garden Accessories

Growing plants can take time; consequently, your child may start to get a little despondent and begin to lose interest if their special area is looking a bit bare. A great way to pass the time and liven up their space is by adding some colourful, garden accessories! Bunting, gnomes, toadstools and windmills can all make novel additions to any garden patch and will help encourage your child to spend more time working on it. Additionally, if there is a tree or branch above their designated area, a windchime can be dangled from above and will provide pleasant time for your child to enjoy while they see to their plants.

Praise Their Efforts

For children, praise is the ultimate motivation, so be sure to commend your child’s efforts, no matter how modest the outcome is. As well as admiring their planting area yourself, inform others such as grandparents or friends of their labours so they too can also share their admiration. By recognising their hard work, you are sure to encourage your child to pursue their interest in gardening and produce plants that they can be proud of.

Will you be encouraging your child to try their hand at gardening this summer? If so, share your experiences with us on our social media channels or browse our range of kids crates now to ensure you find the perfect accessories to enhance your little one’s planting experience.