Children enjoy hands-on learning where they can try out different things for themselves. Creating a garden can be a fun learning experience and allow your child to explore the natural world.
You can create a garden of any shape or size, depending on what you want to grow and the amount of space you have. Talk to your child about the type of garden you will make and what plants need to grow (sunlight, water and nutrients), then decide how you will go about it. You might want to create a no-dig garden using a tyre filled with soil, a hanging garden with baskets or a planter box for inside or out.
Personalising your garden
Find a suitable place for your garden (window sill for sunlight, or outdoors near a tap) and encourage your child to help prepare the area. They might want to help pull weeds or turn the soil.
To make your garden more special, grow plants that will appeal to your child’s senses. For example, you might choose herbs or fragrant flowers your child can smell, or a plant with soft, velvety leaves. You could even use the seeds from fruit your child enjoys eating to show them what plant the fruit comes from.
When it’s ready, your child can give the garden a name and check on the progress of the plants over time. As you wait for the seeds to sprout or things to grow, you might even start other projects like making a scarecrow, compost heap or a worm farm.
Being safe in the garden
Make sure your child is sun safe while working in the garden:
- use safety equipment like gloves when handling compost or soil
- wear shoes when outside
- wash hands after gardening.
Other creatures could come to enjoy your garden too, so it’s important to teach your child to be careful of insects and spiders that might also live in the garden.