Budding gardeners will love these fun outdoor ideas, says mum-of-two Amber Voller
This spring I’ve been embracing my inner Alan Titchmarsh by trying some new gardening activities with my three-year-old, Harry.
Gardening with your kids is a great bonding activity that’s both fun and educational. Harry loves getting his hands dirty, planting seeds, learning the names of flowers, and watering the plants. Getting outside in the fresh air burns off some of his boundless energy, too!
If you fancy giving gardening a go, here are some ideas.
1. Plant flowers
Gardening requires patience – something kids don't have much of – so you want quick wins.
Sunflowers are ideal as they only take a few months to grow from seed to flower and children will love seeing how tall they can grow. Check out a variety called 'Teddy Bear' which are shorter with fun fuzzy heads.
Other foolproof flowers that can be grown from seeds include nasturtiums, poppies, cosmos, and marigolds.
Let your kids scatter the seeds – it doesn't matter if they don’t place them precisely! They'll also enjoy digging the soil: exploring the texture and smell and spotting any tiny critters lurking within. Check up on your budding blooms regularly together to see their progress.
For quicker results, you can pot ready-grown plants into containers or even old wellies. And as for tools? All you need is a child-friendly gardening fork and trowel.
Little ones can also help to water the plants with a mini watering can or small plastic jug. Watering the plants is a great way for them to improve their hand-eye coordination and learn about caring for living things; no pets required!
2. Feed the birds
If your child is as animal-obsessed as mine, they'll love leaving food out for the birds. Pick up some ready-made feed and pop it onto a bird table or hang it from a feeder. You don't have to have a garden – a feeding tray can attract birds to a balcony or a windowsill, even on a block of flats, says the RSPB.
You could even make a picture checklist of common garden birds, encouraging your little one to tick off any they spot.
3. Build a bug hotel
Creepy-crawly hunting provides endless excitement for curious kids but why not go one step further and construct a home to attract mini beasts?
The Woodland Trust recommends creating warm dry spaces using twigs, hollow stems, dry leaves, dead grass, pine cones and bits of bark.
I'm thinking of a five-star bug resort complete with handcrafted lollipop stick signs and mini swimming pools (made from milk bottle tops) for an afternoon-long activity.
4. Grow vegetables
You don't need an allotment to enjoy growing veggies. Spinach and lettuce are straightforward and will be ready to harvest within six to 10 weeks. Radishes are even quicker, taking around a month. They also don't need to be transplanted from a small pot to a big pot, or into the ground like some vegetables do.
If you're after more of a challenge, go for peas. You'll need to create some supports for them as they grow tall but little ones will love popping them out of their pods and eating them – but keep an eye out for caterpillars!
5. Make cuttings
Seeing plants grow roots can be fascinating for children. The best way? Mini plant 'propagation'. Take a cutting from a plant, around 10-15cm long, and pop it into a clear jar of water, removing any leaves so only the stems are underwater.
Watch your cutting as it thrives over the next few weeks. Once big enough, you can replant it outside in a pot. Geraniums, petunias and busy Lizzies are all ideal for this.
Indoor gardening for kids
If you don’t have an outdoor space, how about building an indoor fairy or dinosaur garden with your children? Use a small trough to plant scented herbs such as rosemary, basil, mint, and thyme that grow easily inside if they're placed in a sunny spot.
Add moss, pebbles, cardboard doors, and furniture made from Lego for a magical living zone for their tiniest figurines.
Cress is another indoor hit. Pop some damp tissue at the bottom of some cleaned eggshells then sprinkle the seeds on top. The cress grows within days! They can even decorate the eggshells, adding faces for the cress 'hair' to grow from.
Colourful blooms, such as marigolds and dahlias, work perfectly in window boxes, or let children help look after houseplants including succulents or pineapple plants.
How to keep children safe in the garden
There's so much adventure to be had outside but you should always supervise children and keep sharp tools, pesticides, and fertilisers out of reach.
Some plants can be toxic so emphasise the importance of washing their hands after gardening and not putting anything into their mouth. And don't forget to apply sunscreen during the warmer months, even on cloudy days!
