Tips from Olle Garden Bed: 10 Ways to Get Children Interested in Gardening

Most gardeners have always been passionate about their craft. Others unexpectedly develop a love for plants at some point. But one thing seems to remain consistent whenever the gardening bug bites - childhood memories. The majority of us can recall specific memories from our childhood, including gardens. Gardening is something children remember, and it can be an activity that lasts into adulthood.The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.

Here are 10 ways to inspire children's interest in gardening:

1.Teach the Basics - Start with the soil. Let them dig and play while learning about the importance of soil. Help them find earthworms and make their own worm compost in a transparent bin where they can watch them move through the soil.

2.Give Them Their Own Garden - Start small, but let your child choose an area for their garden and decide what plants to grow, preferably simple and fun ones like sunflowers, carrots, or radishes. Use this opportunity to teach them about planting and caring for the garden.

3.Provide Child-Sized Tools - Ensure your child has age-appropriate gardening tools. Show them how to use them and emphasize the importance of taking care of them, including putting them away after each use, just like they should with their toys.

4.Use Themes in the Garden - Nothing sparks imagination quite like a theme, whether it's based on characters from books, games, hobbies, or anything else. Theme gardens are a perfect way to involve all of your child's favorites while stimulating interest and creativity.

5.Explore with All Five Senses - Take children for walks in nature or through their own garden. Let them touch various plants and describe how they feel. Encourage them to share what they see, hear, smell, and even taste.

6.Entertain with Legends - This may sound cheesy, but children can learn about weather and how it affects plants by testing their knowledge. For example, it's said that flowers smell stronger before it rains. When it's in the forecast, go outside and smell the flowers. Then do it again after the rain. Is there a difference?

7.Encourage Insects and Wildlife - What child doesn't love bugs, birds, and other wildlife? Teach them about their importance in the garden and learn about local species in your area. Let them create habitats for their garden and plant flowers to attract pollinators.

8.Recycle in the Garden - Making a compost pile with children is a great way to inspire an interest in the environment. Reuse grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, and kitchen scraps in the compost while teaching them how it decomposes into healthy soil amendments. The same concept can be applied to using pine needles or leaves as mulch. You can also get creative with everyday items for garden containers.

9.Keep a Garden Journal - Encourage children to track the growth of plants in their garden with a journal. It's also a great way for them to learn about plant parts and their life cycles by drawing the plants and adding labels. They can even write stories about the plants growing in their garden and the creatures that visit.

10.Create Menus from Garden Harvests - Don't forget to include their harvests in delicious dishes. Let your children create menus using the food they've grown in the garden. Fruits and vegetables take on a whole new meaning when they've been grown by their own hands.

Gardens are known for triggering memories. While most children in gardens continue to have a lifelong affinity for plants, even those who don't pursue gardening in adulthood may have positive memories of gardening somewhere in their childhood. All it takes is planting that seed early on.