Gardening with Kids: Getting Inspired

Gardening with kids is a mix of fun, exercise and education (and a little dose of vitamin D from Mr. Sun couldn’t hurt either after all of this winter.

Think about it – did you ever think about just how much exercise you’re getting when you’re in your garden? The bending and squatting. Remember the 100 squats a day movement? Well who needs it now that you can get back in the dirt? As a child I absolutely loved being in the garden with my mother – there was so much to see, do and touch. There was even the occasional hummingbird!

Ladybugs for example we all know exist to eat those nasty aphids that eat holes into the stems of our vegetables. Balance in the environment is so important and the ladybugs create an eco-friendly alternative. So naturally we want as many ladybugs as possible. Teach your kids about ladybugs and the importance of balance by planting things that attract our little red friends or make some ladybug rocks with your kids to spruce up the place – they won’t eat those nasty aphids but they are super cute.

I learned to be patient and gentle with plants and realized that our relationship with the earth, birds, and bees is a give-and-take situation. Being in the garden with your children is not just a cosmetic approach, but an extremely educational one. Lets check out a few inspiration pictures before a post next week on a garden project you can do with your little ones.