Herbs are easy to grow making them ideal for kids, first time gardeners and those without a lot of space in their gardens. Herbs smell beautiful, look interesting and taste amazing. Kids love picking, experimenting and playing with them so growing them is a great way to encourage kids to be outside, exploring their senses and having fun in the garden. Continue reading
Summer is a wonderful time for kids to be outdoors in garden and the following tips will help keep your little green thumbs safe:
1. Always supervise your children in the garden. You don’t need to hover over the top of them but it is important to keep an eye on what they are up to.
2. Protect your little one’s hands with a pair of gardening gloves. Not only will they safeguard them from biting and stinging insects they will also help protect against any prickly plants. Continue reading
Mulching is important as it helps stabilise your gardens soil temperatures in the root zone…and that means happy plants! With Australia’s hot summers, mulching means that your plants won’t struggle when it comes to surviving in rough conditions. The best time to mulch is right after the soil has warmed up and you are ready to start planting. Continue reading
Today’s guest post is written by the talented and inspirational Laura Trotta from Sustainababy. Laura’s family has recently adopted three chickens and her children are reaping the benefits of having them in the garden. Here she shares with us seven reasons why your family should consider having chickens. Continue reading
I love meeting fellow nature lovers who enjoy connecting children to nature. Over the last few years I have made some truly wonderful connections with people from around the world who share my joy. I am always inspired by those who work hard to teach children about the wonders and the fragility of our earth. Their work encourages younger generations to think and act in a more environmentally sustainable manner and that has to be a good thing.
I was honoured to be contacted by the Children & Nature Network and asked to provide information and photos for a presentation they would be showing at the 2013 Grassroots Gathering in California. Continue reading
Here is part two in our series on designing the perfect kids garden written by professional garden designer Helen Spry from Ezyplant. Helen is a mother of two very active boys and has been a domestic garden designer for 10 years. In this post Helen looks at equipment that can be added to a kids garden to encourage imagination, play, relaxation and exercise. To see part one where Helen discusses matters relating to productive gardens, turf and paths for kids click here.
Trampolines provide hours of fun and physical activity and are available in a range of sizes. Apart from the physical benefits they can also be used for reading and doing homework. A quiet outdoor classroom provides a wonderful space for learning and can be helpful for remembering spelling words or math sums. Jumping on a trampoline or bouncing a ball while saying the word/sum out loud can make all the difference in retaining information for some children. Give it a try!
Sandpits provide a creative space and will guarantee hours of play. The bigger the better especially if you are catering for more than one child. Essentially a 3m X 3m size pit will allow 2 children to play happily. If your garden allows, consider a huge pile of dirt for hours of fun digging, making mud pies and creating cities with roads and houses. Continue reading
Today’s first guest post, in a two-part series, is by domestic garden designer Helen Spry. A mother of two very active boys, Helen has been a domestic garden designer for 10 years. She operates a garden design consultancy business, Eco Garden Design Pty. Ltd., and an online garden planning website. Greatly influenced by her great-grandfather and grandfather, who were both garden designers in their time, she has had the advantage of a lifetime of learning. Her passion and immense interest in domestic design led her to establish Ezyplant.com.au, a D.I.Y. garden planning website for the home gardener.
As parents we can struggle to balance our lives with the added pressure to keep a healthy balance in our children’s lives. With technology so accessible, it can be an easy option at the end of a long day to give in to their requests.
Imagine coming home and having your children racing to get into the garden! Here’s some important design elements you can incorporate into your garden to entice your children away from technology. Continue reading
Wednesday, June 5th is World Environment Day (WED) and this year the theme is Think.Eat.Save. There is no doubt that global food production is placing an enormous strain on our natural resources however WED is the perfect opportunity to talk to your kids about food miles, food wastage and reducing their ecological footprint whilst celebrating our wonderful world. Here are ten activities you can do with your kids to celebrate World Environment Day and help reduce their footprint: Continue reading
Just in case you haven’t worked it out by now, I love gardening with kids. Last week I asked our followers on Facebook “If you could use one word to describe what it is like to garden with little ones what would it be?”. The answers were wide and varied but overwhelmingly most people used positive words to describe gardening with kids. The most common response was ‘inspiring’ which in itself is inspiring to read. It is wonderful to read that so many people can understand the benefits of gardening with children. Other words used included: Continue reading
Autumn leaves are not only beautiful and fun for kids, investigating and playing with them help develop skills in areas such as science, maths, communication, art and even music. Little Miss B and I spent this morning out in the garden collecting, playing, sorting, talking and creating with a pile of leaves we gathered. Here are five fun and educational activities you can do with your kids in the garden with autumn leaves this season. Continue reading