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The October half term school holidays are fast approaching, which means that you are probably searching for things to do to keep the children entertained. The answer may be more simple than you think: get them involved in the garden! Not only might this be a helping hand to you, they will actually enjoy it and it gets them outside away from the television. If you need some tips on how to get the kids involved in the garden this half term, here are some ideas!
Some children may require little to no encouragement getting outside in the garden during half term. However, if your child needs some convincing about why it could be fun or rewarding stories about gardening could be a great place to start.
Children will automatically be more excited to help out in the garden if they have their own mini tools- they are also safer for them to use compared to regular gardening tools. You don’t have to spend a lot, and most gardening centres offer small sets of multiple brightly coloured tools. The essentials to get them started might include: gardening gloves, a trowel, a fork, a rake and a watering can.
Your children will be unlikely to put any effort in the garden if they don’t feel like it is being appreciated. Ask them to do the easy, menial tasks of which you can see the results instantly, but are boring for adults to do. Ask them to pull the weeds out of the patio, pull the dead flowers and leaves from plants or rake the leaves into a pile. Thanking them for completing these tasks will make them feel useful, meaning they are more likely to help out again!
Even if you want your children to help out, they will probably be more interested in gardening if they have their own space to do their own gardening. Simply buy them a small plant container, with some compost and some seeds or bulbs. Carrot and cress seeds are a great, easy place to start as they’ll feel a sense of achievement when they are able to eat their own produce.
If your children are too young to grow their own produce yet, you can spark an interest in them from a young age by making them aware that you are able to harvest and eat your own produce from the garden. Making them interested in gardening from a young age means that they are likely to do their own gardening as they grow up.
Gardening isn’t just about looking after plants, crops and flowers, it’s about caring for everything in the garden, including wildlife. Encourage them to bird watch by decorating a bird box with them, or help them develop an interest in creepy crawlies with insect hotels and a magnifying glass.
Do you have any more tips on how to get the kids gardening this half term? Share your ideas!
