Gardening is a wonderful activity for kids of all ages. It teaches them a lot about taking responsibility by caring for plants, gives them a greater understanding of cause and effect as plants grow and die, while hopefully being a whole lot of fun for them and you too. Whether you live in a tenth floor flat, have a small backyard or a couple of acres, at least one of the following five gardening projects will be suitable for your children’s lifestyle.
- Create a Bird Feeder
Even if your home only has a small back garden or you live in a flat with just a balcony, you’ll hopefully be able to find somewhere to hang a homemade bird feeder. There are plenty of DIY birdfeeder options available. One of our favourites is to use an empty plastic bottle, cut two holes in either side and thread an old wooden spoon through. Angle the spoons downwards so that when a little bird sits on that side the feed will drizzle out.
- Make Some Garden Decorations
An easy, inexpensive rainy-day activity for any child who can hold a paintbrush is to make some garden decorations. Collect a few rocks, make some clay or plant pots and then let them loose with the paint. Ensure that you use materials and paints that aren’t going to wash away immediately and be prepared to have some fun. Googly eyes make everything better, especially when designing a rock hedgehog or badger for example.
- Grow Tomatoes, Peppers and More
For those with a greenhouse, this can be used to excellent effect for planting and growing fruit and vegetables pretty much all year round. In a greenhouse that uses a cold frame paraffin heater, you can grow tomatoes, peppers and other tender plants easily. Children can learn a lot about responsibility, so set them a schedule to take care of these throughout the week and at weekend. Then when they’re ready to be picked everyone will be greatly rewarded. Let them choose fruit or vegetables they like to make it a better experience. Here’s an ultimate guide on growing your own vegetables that you can teach to your kids.
- Build a Homemade Greenhouse
If you don’t have a greenhouse or a garden big enough for one, you can easily work with your kids to build a homemade greenhouse out of recycled materials. These range from the ridiculously simple (just sticking an old umbrella in a plant pot), to more complex structures built out of old CD cases (that definitely requires adult supervision). The best ones are probably those using plastic bottles, which can be built to any size, so they can create a small one for their room or work on an ambitious larger project for outside.
- Nurture a Herb Terrarium
Not every child has access to a garden, but that doesn’t matter. With an empty fish or other such glass bowls, some soil and a few stones, they can create a simple herb terrarium. Remember to keep watering it and maybe plant some quick growing options such as cress and they should feel like a proper gardener in no time.
There are many more gardening projects which children will enjoy but these five should make a good start with something to choose from for any household.
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