Introducing your young ones to flowers and gardening can open their doors to the wonders of nature and start a lifelong love of flora and fauna. The idea is to start them young because, like bees, kids are naturally curious, so it’s no surprise they’ll be drawn to flowers because of their attractive colours, fascinating shapes, and lovely scents. In a way, aren’t we all like children?
And while learning about flowers and how to care for them, your little ones can learn more about biology, art, and other life lessons. So read on if you have a green thumb and want to pass down your love for mother nature to them. Here’s how to get your kids to love gardening and flowers!
Plan Ahead
Remember your parent telling you they would take you to a theme park? You start counting down the days, and the excitement starts building up. When the day comes, you’re so pumped that you feel like you could pass out. The same principle can apply to flowers and gardening.
Most gardening enthusiasts get home gardening catalogues sent to their houses. Speak with enthusiasm when it arrives while flipping through it with your kids. If you have the time, you can create a photo book with all your favourite plants and give them creative freedom to add their favourite plants if they wish.
Get Kid Sized Gardening Tools
There’s no doubt that kids love to play in the dirt and get their hands dirty. It’s actually proven to be beneficial for their immune system. And you know another thing kids love to do? Copy every move their parents make.
So naturally, when you’re in the garden tending to your plants, your kids want to do the same. There are many choices of plastic shovels, wheelbarrows, and rakes for kids. Adult spades are too weighty and awkward for their tiny hands. If you don’t have these, they can use a spoon. Get books that describe the flowers and bugs in the garden, which ups the enjoyment factor of gardening.
Create Gardening Games
Kids LOVE games; it’s not an understatement. They especially love it when it’s a competition, and they are the winners. A fun way to get your kids obsessed with flowers and gardening is to make a game out of it.
Create a competition to see who can remove the most weeds around the flowers. If they accidentally pull a flower instead of a weed, laugh it off and point out how flowers have deeper roots than weeds. Life is a game of learning from our mistakes, after all.
The More Dirt, The Better
Wondering what to feed your kids? Try a little dirt! We’re obviously joking, but like our previous point above, kids who play in the soil have higher immune systems than those who don’t. Let kids be kids and explore mother earth.
Teach kids to differentiate between beneficial and intrusive insects. Reassure kids that most bees won’t sting if you don’t swat them. Let them dig a hole in the ground without judgment so they can connect with the earth. You’ll be surprised how calming it is for them.
Buy Unusual Flowers
Switch it up once in a while with a different bloom! One way to keep the excitement going is to get an exotic flower once a month. Choose something you’ve never grown before and treat it as a learning experience for both you and your child. It also turns into a project the whole family can work on together. Or just choose a different shade from your family’s favourite flowers every year.
Choose Different Flower Colours
Who doesn’t love a bright and colourful garden? There’s a reason why kids’ toys are so colourful, it stimulates their brains and keeps them attracted to the object.
When the flowers are planted, your kids will be so intrigued when hot pink and deep purple buds emerge from the green stalk. Once the colours start to pop, they can start counting how many flowers are blooming, which is another great lesson for tots learning their numbers.
Don’t Stop Learning
Lessons don’t stop just because the flowers have all grown! Take this time to sit by the garden with your young ones and take in the fruits of your labour. Draw, paint, or even take pictures of the beautiful plants and abundance your family has created.
Perhaps you also purchased flowers that draw butterflies and hummingbirds. Pay attention to the sounds of your all’s efforts and the new community you have attracted.
