LITTLE MR AND MISS GREENTHUMBS – GARDENING WITH CHILDREN

I am always amazed by what nature has to offer us and being on such a beautiful island we are spoilt by the variety of flowers and exotic fruits around us. Sadly growing up in a country which was predominately of dry and desert conditions, I did not get the opportunity to learn about gardening as a child. So it was very important for me that during our stay in Sri Lanka the children get exposed to learning and working in nature. During the Christmas holidays the children were shipped off to my parents place for some green thumb therapy. My parents live on the outskirts of Colombo and have the most beautiful garden that they have been cultivating over the years. The children love going there for as soon as they arrive they are out of the car and spend quite a bit of time running around aimlessly to get the Colombo city cobwebs out of their systems.

The garden is filled with a mixture of exotic fruits as well as breathtakingly beautiful orchids which are my father’s speciality. In the lovely holiday weather that we have been experiencing, gardening

with kids is a fun pastime spent by everyone of all ages. It has been found that children who don’t like to concentrate on other household tasks enjoy gardening wholeheartedly. Benefits of Gardening with Kids By engaging in an activity such as gardening, children are able to learn about the cycle of life through real life experiences rather than through books. You can start from the very beginning and involve them in the planting of a seed, to maintenance of the plant and the final enjoyment of seeing its fruits or flowers. There is so much for children to learn through this process, encourage them to ask questions about each step, as well as get them to tell you what happens through each process for this is definitely an easier way to give them a science lesson rather than reading a chapter in a book. You can make the activity more interesting by taking pictures of the plant in different stages of growth, from a seed to a fully grown plant.

By getting children in the outdoors, you are getting them away from their computers, T.V’S and video games that are so popular right now. They are engaging in healthy physical activity and you are also developing healthy habits that your children will thank you later for. In small children, gardening is a great way to develop physical skills like handeye coordination and fine motor skills, by digging holes for the seeds and also by planting the seeds. Children need to develop such skills before they can hold or control a pencil or pen.

When gardening with children, try and grow plants that will attract wildlife, such as bees and butterflies. The benefit of attracting such insects will be two-fold, they will help pollinate your flowers which will give you a good crop of fruit and vegetables as well as give you an opportunity to teach children about wildlife. You can talk to your children about the insects you A gardening exercise to do with your older kids

Things needed: Kitchen paper

jar or pint glass bean seed Wet a couple of sheets of kitchen roll and stand it inside a pint glass or find and educate them about which ones are good for your garden or not. For example worms are good as they makes holes in the soil for air and water but some bugs are not so good as they will eat your plants like caterpillars.

When growing everyday plants be aware of poisonous ones, since you don’t want to expose your children to those. Apparently tomato leaves and stems are poisonous as well the leaves in potatoes plants, just make sure little wandering hands don’t accidentally pluck and ingest such plants.

Gardening overall is a very peaceful pastime and there is a lot of personal satisfaction to be experienced when nurturing a plant to full bloom. You can also use the time spent together to bond with your child. With regards to older children you can spend that time talking to them about school and any other issues that might be bothering them. So therefore gardening with children is a very calming and soothing tall jar, then drop a bean seed down the side of the container. Keep the paper damp and you will see the bean sprout roots and then grow, this is a great way of showing what happens under the ground. activity to engage in. If you are stuck for space, as in the case when you live in the city, try and use window boxes and grow some easy to maintain plants, the personal satisfaction that you feel is worth the trouble.

Happy Gardening!