Venuzi

Living Off Grid, Tree Change Journey

Gardening with kids

images (5)I love gardening, it’s a little escape, mummy time and a form of meditation. Sometimes it’s hard work, moving wheelbarrows of dirt, digging holes or it can even be disheartening if something doesn’t blossom like the picture on the packet, you tried so hard and it doesn’t work out like they said it would!

Or plain and simple, your little people really Really REALLY want to be part of your business. So instead of having a nice potter in the garden, you need to set up a full force child minding facility.

Here are some ideas to keep mum productive and little people happy;

MUDPIES Find some old cooking utensils, whisks are a hit get a bucket or yoghurt container, a watering can or bottle full of water, place them and the little people close to your general area, in the shade next to a nice pile of dirt and ask them to make you some mud pies.

There little minds will take over at this point and you can get busy with your garden, you will still be interacting, every 5 minutes you will be asked to taste a batch, this brings great joy seeing your face whilst you taste, I mean pretend to taste the delicious treat.

PLANTING SEEDS Hopefully you have some small pots, otherwise buy some small pots and seedling trays. I planted some seeds into seedling trays and got the seeds growing, a week later I asked our teenage, 4 year old to help put the little seedlings into little pots. This activity was very images (4)blissful and amusing for both of us actually, he had mini gardening gloves, then he helped me get the pots, mix some soil with a little shovel, he put the soil into the little pots, I then had a controlling moment where I planted the seedlings, the delicate ones anyway! I wrote on seedling marker sticks, and then he copied the writing on his own marker sticks. Then he got the hose and watered the lot.

20160130_115956After that he said to me, “Ok mum I’ve had enough gardening, can I go and play now?” well of course, who am I to stop you to leave me in peace! So everyone is happy, he is inside playing and I can get some work done in the garden, without distraction.

 

PLANT SUNFLOWERS or CORN They can do it all, plant it, water it and watch it grow, usually you will see a flower or corn kernel within a couple weeks. It’s great for their development; they learn how to look after something, pull through with a project and have full ownership of something in the garden.

 

Do you have any secret keeping the kids busy in the garden ideas?
I’d love to learn some more great ways to keep the little people happy in the garden…

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