Issue Date: June 7, 2009
ParentSmart |
ALLYSON DICKMAN
|
|
Get kids gardening
A family garden combines fun with life-long lessons.
|
Involving children in garden duties isn't just a way of adding to their household chores. "The garden provides a place for many possibilities, such as play and inquiry, safe risk taking, the building of relationships and deeper understanding of diversity," says Beth Hallett, Growing a Green Generation project coordinator at the University of New Hampshire. Follow her tips for creating a family garden.
Try a container garden to reduce weeding and to make plants easier for kids to reach.
Let them choose what to grow, but promote plants that intrigue the imagination, such as touch-me-nots (which have seed pods that explode when touched), soft lamb's ear and geraniums that come in fragrant lemon and cinnamon scents.
Involve them in all aspects of gardening, from weeding to harvesting. Give them child-sized tools so they can participate.
Create a fun, private space outside to give your kids "a quiet place for reflection or inspiration as they create a world of role play and fantasy," Hallett says.
Cook with them. After you harvest any fruits and vegetables, let your kids be kitchen helpers. "They are more willing to eat something they've created," Hallett says.
|
