Garden activities for kids, Mini Bloggers

Patch Kits in Action

Posted on by Erica
02
Feb

One of our most popular products are our Planet Eco Patch Kits

My grandchildren E,W and M tested out all three varieties, Vegie, Herb and Flower.

The Grandkids live in Far North Queensland and I live in Melbourne, so it was wonderful to share my gardening passion with them.

E, W and M all worked together to plant the seeds and write labels on the bamboo plants tags. When I visited them a few weeks after planting, the seeds had sprouted and were being watered at least once a day, probably more as I think each kid was watering them separately!

All of the seeds within the Planet Eco Patch Kits have been specifically chosen because they are easy to grow and quick to germinate.

When the seedlings were big enough, we planted them out into the garden. The kids were a little surprised that the cardboard pot was biodegradable and could be planted straight into the garden.

Throughout my visit to FNQ, the Grandkids asked about a million questions about seeds, plants and gardening. I think the Patch Kits sparked an interest! And they all thoroughly recommended our Patch Kits as being a great gift for kids.

Garden activities for kids, Vegie on View

Writing Names on Fruit and Vegies

Posted on by Erica

Message on a Banana
Message on a Banana

WRITING NAMES AND DESIGNS ON FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
Scratching your children’s name into growing pumpkins, zucchinis or melons is such a fun and simple activity, but it gives the children months’ worth of enjoyment as they watch their creations grow!
Here are 3 tried and tested edibles that work really well for this activity:

  • Pumpkins, zucchinis (and any other members of the squash family)
  • Watermelon
  • Passion fruit (scratch your design while they’re still green)

Continue reading →

Other, School garden

Kids' Gardening Books Reviewed

Posted on by Erica
17
Sep

Herbert Peabody and the Incredible Beehive

Finding quality kids gardening books can be a bit of a challenge at times, so this blog reviews two new books on the market; Herbert Peabody and the Incredible Beehive by Bianca C. Ross, illustrated by Tabitha Emma Bray and Garden to Table – A Kid’s Guide to Planting, Growing and Preparing Food by Katherine Hengel.

Herbert Peabody and the Incredible Beehive by Bianca C. Ross, illustrated by Tabitha Emma Bray

What a breath of fresh air! A kid’s book that highlights the benefits of bees to gardens and the environment! Continue reading →

Garden activities for kids, Uncategorized

10 Tips To Get Children Involved In The Garden

Posted on by Erica
24
Aug

Fun In The Garden
Fun In The Garden

We are frequently asked “How can I get my kids interested in gardening?”.  And these days with easy access to a range of electronic entertainment devices, it is more important than ever to encourage children to create their own garden and grow their own food.  Here are our top ten tips to encourage your kids into the garden.     Continue reading →

Other, Our environment, Recipes, Vegie on View

Bush Tucker – Warrigal Greens

Posted on by Erica
01
Jun

Warrigal green quiche
What better way to celebrate National Reconciliation Week than with a popular bush tucker plant and recipe.
Back when I was in school, we were taught that Australian history began when Captain Cook “discovered” Australia.  And celebrations of Indigenous culture were almost non-existent. Thank goodness things have changed!
Nowadays, we have a Welcome to Country ceremony at most official functions. Children are immersed in Indigenous culture from their pre-school days.  And at school, Australian history begins long before 1770.
Bush tucker is becoming increasing popular and many of the plants are super easy for kids to grow. In this blog, we will highlight a bush tucker plant that you will probably have seen growing wild and thought it was just a weed. Continue reading →

Competitions and Grants, FREE stuff, Garden activities for kids, School garden, Vegie on View

Winter Vegie Growing Competition

Posted on by Erica
19
Feb

Winter vegie growing challenge
Yates and Junior Landcare have teamed up again to offer children, families, schools and community groups some fabulous prizes just by growing their own winter vegies and sharing their story.
Yates will be providing free seeds and Gardening 4 Kids stocks plenty of child friendly garden tools, equipment and gloves to help you on your way with the challenge.  And this year, our very own Erica Lovel will be on the judging panel.
Gardening 4 Kids will be offering tips and advice throughout the Challenge via our Facebook and Twitter pages. We will share our successes and our failures! Continue reading →

Garden activities for kids, Other, Recipes

Top Tips for Encouraging Your Child to Eat More Vegies

Posted on by Erica
12
Jan

 

growing cabbage
Growing Cabbage

There is nothing more satisfying or heart-warming than discovering your child in the vegie patch munching enthusiastically on something fresh, super healthy and delicious (unless of course it’s your prize winning crop of strawberries that you were saving for the top of your Sunday pav!)
Current research clearly shows the importance of children being involved with what they’re growing.  My children seem to be about 400% more likely to eat vegies they have grown themselves! Continue reading →

Compost and worm farms, Mini Bloggers

Mini Blogger – Composting by Sophia aged 11

Posted on by Erica

Sophia and compost bin
Sophia Mixing Her Compost

Why compost?
Composting is a great way to reduce waste and feed your garden. By composting your fruit and vegetable scraps you are not only doing a good deed for nature but you are helping reduce pollution; for example when you throw your fruit and veggie scraps in the normal rubbish bin it rots and produces toxic gasses. When you compost you avoid this.
By composting you are also creating a cycle: first you eat the fruit and/or vegetables and then throw the scraps in your compost bucket, when your compost bucket gets full you take the bucket out to your big compost bin and over time the scraps will break down so that you can use it on your veggie garden. This is excellent soil for your new vegetables to grow healthy and also saves you money because you don’t have to buy soil. Once it has all broken down you can use it on your garden, then when your fruits and veggies are ready to pick the cycle restarts. Continue reading →

Garden activities for kids

Gardening Activities Around Australia These School Holidays

Posted on by Erica
22
Sep

girls at cranbourne bot gardens
Kid Friendly Activities at the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens

With the school holidays upon us in most parts of the country, it is a great time to visit your local Botanic Garden. Many Botanic Gardens around Australia have free or low cost activities designed for kids.  Links to some of the kid friendly activities happening at our Botanic Gardens during the September 2014 school holidays are listed below.
Sydney – A range of activities for children aged between 3 and 12, held at the Sydney, Mount Annan and Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens.
Melbourne – Craft, nature and gardening activities for kids held at the Melbourne and Cranbourne Botanic Gardens.
Brisbane – Story time for toddlers and free school kids activities at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. Continue reading →