Gardening with children helps them to develop essential life skills, and with a little careful planning, you can turn any space into a garden that’s easy to care for and fun to explore. Children love learning about their world through hands-on activities. What better way to learn about science, history, the environment, nutrition and health than through a garden they help plant and manage?
Sensory Gardens
Sensory gardens can be time-consuming to maintain. However, they’re also one of the most enjoyable garden designs, and offer real benefits to children. The idea is to encourage them to use all of their senses to explore the garden. For sight, brightly coloured flowers work well. For sound, try planting some ornamental grasses that rustle in the wind. For touch, a variety of plants with different textures will do the trick. For smell, there are plenty of flowers and herbs with divine and varied scents. Consider mint, hyacinth or strawberries. While this garden design will take a bit of planning and research, you’ll be very happy with the results, and you can involve children throughout the process.
A Place To Call Their Own
If you’re going for a simple garden or landscape design but want to make sure yourwhole family can enjoy the garden, consider providing the children with a hideaway in the garden. This could be something as simple as a sandpit where they can dig and play. You might also consider setting up a teepee-style structure and planting climbing vines around it to create a “secret” hiding place. Ensure that routine maintenance jobs are up-to-date to ensure that the area is safe. This will mean you can allow them to play independently, developing their imaginations through creative play.
Herb Gardens
Herb gardens are really easy to maintain, making them a great choice for families with little time. Many herbs require little attention, and can be grown in containers, thus reducing weeding time. Not only are they simple to grow and manage, but herbs can also teach your children science, nutrition, history and health. Cooking with herbs is a fun and tasty way to celebrate gardening success as a family.
Learning gardens have become popular in many schools. If you choose to create your own educational space in your backyard, be sure to give each child a job (such as watering or weeding), so they feel like a part of the process. The more actively they participate, the more they’ll learn and grow, just like your garden.
