This past week, our educational theme at Summit Kids Academy was Gardening. All our groups did projects ranging from planting seeds to creative garden art work, we explored what grows and how we can make our world a little more beautiful and clean. All the children and teachers loved this springtime theme. In this week’s blog, we wanted to give you an opportunity to share in the same fun as we did at school.
Each season brings new opportunities to plant seasonal flowers, herbs, or even veggies and fruit, and spring is one of our favorite times to get kids outside and working in the soil. It’s a good time for a variety of plants to thrive, and getting your planting finished in April allows you to avoid gardening in the hot summer sun. Our kid-friendly tips will ease your kid into helping with the garden this spring.
Give Your Kids a Say
You probably have an idea of how you like to lay out your garden, what your budget is, and what you’d like to see out back, but ask your children if there are any specific flowers or veggies they’d enjoy. You can take a trip to the garden center with them so that they can pick out the flowers they like the best, or talk about their preference of summer squash over zucchini.
Make a Rainbow
Kids love color, and creating a section in your yard devoted to a kid-friendly theme will get them excited about what you’re growing outside. A rainbow is one of the easiest ways to do this. Bring your kids to the nursery and have a mini scavenger hunt which will allow them to search for red flowers, orange and yellow (marigolds are hardy and always come in these colors), green (herbs may be best), blue, and purple. When they see a rainbow take shape outside, they’ll be excited and may start to brainstormed designs for the next planting season!
Mark Each Section with Color and Creativity
If you’re working from seeds, you’re going to need markers for each section, so ask you kids to expand on their love of color with bright, creative garden markers. You can buy large, smooth rocks from the nursery, and ask your kids to paint each one, spelling out “rosemary” or “pansies.” Let them add their own flourishes and show them where to set their stones for a bright and fun touch to your garden.
Welcome the Birds with DIY Feeders
Remind your kids that flowers and trees are not the only living things that thrive outside, and explain to them how bird feeders will attract a number of different birds to your backyard. An easy feeder for your kids to make on their own is a pinecone feeder. Ask your kids to spread peanut butter or sunflower butter on a pinecone (real or fake), and then place birdseed all over the pinecone in order to lure their feathered friends. Place these on branches or fence posts, or simply distribute them among the plants, and wait for the birds to visit!
DIY Egg Starters
Plant starter kits can get expensive, so save discarded eggshells and empty egg cartons to make your own! Crack eggshells in half, and ask your kids to place empty eggshells in the egg carton. Then, your kids can fill each shell with damp soil and seeds. When the seeds begin to sprout, your children will see how organic materials can be used to make a garden grow!
Do your children help with your garden? What are their favorite tasks? Let us know in the comments section!