The weather is slowly but surely getting warmer, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to start gardening again! Spending time outdoors has many great health benefits, so it’s no wonder that the thought of gardening makes us feel so excited.
Having a beautiful garden is especially welcome at this time, when the kids are home from school and you’re looking for ways to channel their energy into something positive. Encouraging your little ones to fall in love with gardening is a great way to get them outdoors developing healthy habits – something every parent wants! Luckily, it’s never been easier with our top tips:
Plant delicious fruits and vegetables
One great way to spark your children’s interest in gardening is to plant their favourite fruits and vegetables. Children will love picking and eating tasty strawberries or digging up potatoes to cook for dinner. If you create a big fuss of their harvested goods at the dinner table, your little ones will feel extremely proud – and inspired to keep gardening!
Give them their own gardening patch
Children love having responsibility, so designating a patch of the garden and putting them in charge is an effective way to make them fall in love with gardening. Let them choose the seeds they’d like to plant and consider buying them their own set of child-friendly gardening tools.
Encourage them to get messy!
Children also love to get messy! They’ll relish the chance to dig soil, spot insects and harvest vegetables from the ground, so why not encourage them to do so? However, to make sure you don’t spend the next day cleaning mud out of your favourite carpet, get them to change out of their boots and gloves before entering the house!
Let them imitate you with gardening toys
It’s a well-known fact that children copy their parents’ and guardians’ behaviour. If they spot you gardening, they will likely want to get involved. Although they won’t be able to hold sharp gardening tools, they’ll have a great time initiating you with child-friendly gardening toys. From toy chainsaws to toy lawnmowers, there are plenty of gardening toys available to inspire your little ones! The best part? You can enjoy an afternoon of gardening while keeping an eye on them.
If you’re looking for a selection of fun gardening toys to surprise your little ones, or you need your own range of gardening tools to keep your outdoor space looking beautiful, look no further than A. McIlrath & Son. Based in Coleraine, we’re proud to supply a range of high-quality gardening machinery for customers in the surrounding areas. For more information, or to explore our gardening machinery for sale, browse our website today.