Gardening with Kids

Gardening with children can be so fulfilling, for you and for them. Whether you are a teacher, a friend or a parent, you can enjoy some real quality time with the children that you care for.

There are a few ways to make it fun for them. Remember to have fun, encourage silliness and be open to the children's ideas. Kids really enjoy getting outside with adults and creating something. Try to include things in the garden that the kids will really enjoy. Have them set up hummingbird feeders, spinning wind catchers, wind chimes, and make vegetable markers or signs. The more colorful and personal they make it, the more they will love it.

Using hummingbird feeders, spinners and chimes will help give the kids some instant gratification. It's a lot more interesting than simply putting a seed in the dirt and walking away! Set up a craft table in advance and let the kids decorate and design whatever they can think of to stick in the garden. They can use construction paper, index cards, glue, glitter, beads and even seeds to decorate signs. Use some laminating paper or dip in melted paraffin wax to waterproof signs.

Sprouting seeds indoors is fun for kids and lets them see how roots grow towards the water and how leaves open up towards the sun. Simply placing seeds on a wet paper towel and putting them into a sandwich bag will make them sprout rather quickly. Then they can be placed in the dirt and have a better chance of survival than if you had only placed the seeds in the soil.

Kids love the idea of introducing beneficial insects, butterflies, frogs and lizards into the garden. Do a little research about your area and find out which insects are beneficial. Your local nursery can usually provide you with useful information on which insects to introduce and where to get them. Using living creatures to protect the vegetables from invaders is not only fun, but beneficial. Teaching children how to garden organically will not only help them to ingest and absorb less chemicals now, but as they grow and plant their own gardens in the future. Organic gardening is more fun, safer and better for their health.

The fun isn't over when the garden is planted. Kids love to catch bugs and worms and then introduce them into the garden. They can learn about recycling and composting while adding beneficial compost to their garden soil. It will get richer by the year if you avoid chemical fertilizers. Let them water with interesting containers or spray nozzles for the water hose. Get an automatic hose reel and let them do it all by themselves. One with forward assist and automatic hose retrieval makes it easy for even very young children to feel important and participate in the family fun. Happy gardening!

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.