Home Improvements

Garden Projects Your Children Will Enjoy

One thing the Coronavirus pandemic has taught us is to be more self-sufficient. It has also taught homeschooling parents to teach their children life skills they may not learn in a conventional classroom. One of which is fruit and vegetable gardening.

Endeavouring to grow your own food is not always easy, especially with limited green spaces, storage solutions, and many kinds of produce from which to choose. We may just have the solution you are looking for!

Many areas within UK cities don’t have large gardens which can be converted to home gardens, but they may have space for small garden sheds or log cabins in which indoor-friendly plants can be cultivated. An added advantage is that they can double up as a place in which to keep your gardening equipment safe from the elements.

Depending on the size of the structure, you could add a small kitchenette space where your children can wash or prepare the produce they have harvested or an area for crafts which incorporate plants. Another benefit of owning a practical external building is that it can be extended if required, so you can start small and add on rooms as needed.

Now that you’ve got a solution as to where to garden, let’s look at some ideas to keep the little ones interested and entertained.

Recycle Household Items

Everyone has a responsibility to recycle where they can, so why not teach your children how to make a hanging garden using empty, plastic soft drink bottles? These types of vertical garden structures are great for plants like strawberries or tomatoes. Who knows, if you time your cultivation right, you could be enjoying your own strawberries and cream, come Wimbledon.

Covering Lattices

If your log cabin has space for a lattice, you could have your children place pots below it that contain climbing plants such as raspberries, passion fruit or grapes. They will be in awe as they watch their plants climb upwards, covering the trellis. You can teach them to calculate the time it takes from flowering to harvesting of the fruit. This is a skill that teaches them simple mathematics and to plan ahead.

Painting

Another fun gardening-related activity you can do with your children is painting rocks. These can be used as name indicators for the plants within your log cabin and surrounding garden. They can also serve as doorstops, or be given as gifts.

Worm Farming

Another great kids’ gardening activity that can be managed from your garden shed is an earthworm farm. Your children will learn about the importance of these invertebrates in the ecosystem. It could also become a financially lucrative sideline, allowing you to extend your log cabin if you want to.

These are a mere handful of suggestions to get your children involved in the healthy habit of gardening. Tending the soil will teach them that hard work bears fruit, and being around plants will also bring about a sense of calm. Don’t forget to plant some lavender in a pot at the entrance to your log cabin; it has a number of health benefits.