Playing in the garden is great fun for children. But forget swings, slides and paddling pools – there’s nothing children love more than interacting with nature and helping with the gardening itself. Gardening is ideal for getting kids outside in the fresh air and helps them learn about everything from the food chain and environmental issues to biology and horticulture. Here are some fun gardening projects you can enjoy with your children:
- Let them sow seeds in pots to grow their own herbs to use when cooking family meals – it’s a great way to get kids interested in both gardening and food.
- Count how many different insects you can spot in the garden.
- Create a sensory garden with plants that have strong scents or interesting textures.
- Get arty and draw the different plants and flowers in your garden.
- Create a treasure hunt – make a list of ten things children need to find in the garden. Items could include a snail shell and a petal from a shrub in bloom.
- Start a photo album – encourage children to take photos of the sights in the garden throughout the year so that they can see how the garden changes during different seasons.
- Make a compost heap – this is a great way to teach children about recycling and how plants grow.
- Make a bird feeder to feed birds visiting your garden. You can then keep a record of all the different bird species you can spot throughout the year.