Gardening with Kids | DIY at home

Getting kids off their screens today is more tasking than anything else a parent has to do. Kids today are so hooked onto smart devices and electronic forms of entertainment that it almost feels like they’ve not experienced what it feels like to be outdoors. 

While a trek or an outing may not be possible for a while, the closest thing that comes to mind when wanting to experience the outdoors is gardening.

Gardening for kids can be incredibly relaxing, therapeutic and stimulating to the mind from a very young age. It can also be an effective tool to teach kids the very basic biology of plants and how they are an integral part of our ecosystem. 

Gardening is an effective way to get kids off their smart devices, breathe in the fresh air and get active. While we as parents may not be an expert gardener ourselves,  we’ve made you a list to get started & avoid the initial overwhelming visit to the nursery.

#01 Grow plants that bear fruit or vegetables
Though challenging, growing plants that bear fruit or vegetables in your garden can be thoroughly fulfilling and engaging for kids. Find a fruit, vegetable or even herb suited to your child’s tastes and purchase the seeds from your local nursery or online. The process of growing one’s own food and later enjoying the ‘fruits’ of their labor will leave a lasting impression on your kids’ minds. 

This project can also promote a healthy environmental message, give your kids a sense of how challenging it is to grow produce and will educate them on the balance of the ecosystem and even inculcate a good message to reduce wastage.

It’s a hobby that can be nurtured over time and prove to be a therapeutic experience .

We recommend that you begin with easier plants like tomato and basil and as your kids develop further interest, grow your garden according to their preferences.

#02 Recycled Greenhouse

If you’ve got stray plastic boxes or bottles that you don’t use, here’s your chance at making your kids take that one step closer to becoming a planeteer. 

The best way to recycle old boxes and bottles is to set them up as pots and fill them up with soil to construct a recycled miniature garden or greenhouse. 

Though not 100% sustainable, it is more cost effective than purchasing pots specifically for growing a garden. Smaller containers also take up less space, thus giving your kids control over how many plants they’d like to grow in their garden. This makes it a more accessible and low maintenance form of a hobby. 

#03 Terrariums are fun too!

It may just so happen that you don’t have the space for a full fledged garden. Maybe there’s no room for pots at your window or you’re not sure if gardening as a hobby would click with your child. An easy solution to this is constructing a terrarium.

A Terrarium can be simplified as decorative gardening in a bottle. They require a glass bottle or container, with or without a lid and are filled with soil and plants that require minimal maintenance. They work efficiently as most terrariums require you to water them only at the time of assembly and later rely on the vapors in the glass container to keep the environment healthy.

It is a super easy, novel and engaging activity which is also highly educational. Since the combinations of environments that a child would want to create can all be contained in one tiny glass bottle, let your kids find the plants that they fancy and give terrariums a go. It’ll be the talk of the town when their friends come over.

#04 DIY Garden Artifacts

So your kids have decided on what kind of garden they’d like. You’ve got the pots set up at your window or in your backyard, and now all you have to do is wait for the plants to grow. Seems a bit boring, doesn’t it? 

Kids will often feel the pinch of having to wait for days or even weeks before they see a tiny sapling poke its head out of the soil. This time can be used to make sure that the plants receive a warm welcome when they grow. 

You can encourage your kids to build a DIY Scarecrow with old craft material, or help them in making some garden decor. 

You can even have them paint colorful patterns on the pots that the plants will grow in. Perhaps your kids have tiny animal toys that they would like to place around the garden to make it feel like a livelier place. 

If you’re up for it, why not make an insect home that welcomes the insects that are vital for pollination and plant care? The possibilities are limitless and each and every activity is bound to put a smile on your little one’s face.

Gardening may not seem easy to get into, however it is actually a very accessible and thoroughly enjoyable, fulfilling hobby if your kid is keen on developing a green thumb. We promise you that once your little ones experience the bliss of watching their own efforts bloom, they’ll never find the activity boring.