Times have changed tremendously, and kids have forgotten the importance of outdoor activities. This article is not only dedicated to gardening but also towards the cause of driving young children in the direction of healthy living, good work ethics, and fun activities.
It is worth to put in time and effort in gardening, especially when you have kids in the house. Go through the entire article to understand your kid’s psychology to build their interest in gardening.
Let them use their own tools
One thing kids love about gardening is the use of their own tools which fit perfectly in their small hands. Kids tend to work better with tools if they feel a personal connection with them. You can also present them tools as a gift which will instil more enthusiasm and excitement for gardening.
Also, you must take care of their colour and design choices that will inspire them to use the tools. In a basic kit, you can include a hand rake, a hoe, a shovel, and a trowel. You can also provide a sprinkler or water can. You must also guide them to use sunblock and the bug spray in case of mosquitoes.
For kids who are more inclined towards comfort and style, there are lots of gardening gloves, knee pads and apron with pockets to choose from. Although, you do not necessarily need every fancy tool yet you can’t ignore your kid’s choice.
Give them control
When kids have their own plot in a garden, they tend to take responsibility head-on. The satisfaction of having a personal space allows them to care for the plants in their possession. It also gives them an opportunity to prove their capability of handling things on their own.
However, do not provide them with a big space to manage, or they will get overwhelmed and lose interest in gardening. You must put a nice border to define the area. Moreover, educating them about soil will be a good move. Do not stop them from getting dirty and let them enjoy the art of preparing the soil for plantation.
Be creative
Allow your kids to think out of the box. Appreciate their ideas and guide them to fulfil their hopes from gardening. For instance, there is no need to pressurize them to put seeds in long rows. Instead, you can create small square sections and draw small x shapes from a stick. Thus, kids will have fun in planting different seeds on numerous sections of their space.
You can also provide diversity to your kid’s space by creating blocks of different height. In the case of a garden, you can design interesting shapes to attract your kids. However, you must research the distance seeds need to grow, or your kid’s hard work will be ruined.
Allow them to choose seeds
It is a no brainer- you must always allow your child to grow whatever they feel like. If you force your kid to plant seed against their choice, then they will eventually lose interest in gardening. Let them explore their choices; not only will they learn about plants but will also realize a lot about their personality.
But, you should also inform them about the basics of every seed they chose to plant. More than often, your kids are bound to choose the seeds that are easier to grow. Nonetheless, with the time you can advise them to plant seeds that take a longer time to grow. The process of caring for such plants will develop patience and discipline in your kids.
You can plant radishes in early spring while melon, squash and bean seeds are easy to plant yet need more space for germination. On the other hand, peppers and tomatoes are easy to harvest and also have high yields, but they have to be sown quite early in the season.
To keep things moving, you should expect your kid to have bad days in the garden. Sometimes they will not be in the mood to do anything, and that is normal. You must continue to impart knowledge and information to your kid. The more they get to know about gardening, the higher will be the chances of them becoming a seasoned gardener.
