Landscaping Projects for Kids: Fight Summer Boredom Syndrome

Landscaping can be an ideal activity for springtime, when the verdant appearance of the land and the chirping of the birds can really open the mind to new heights of creativity. However, if your kids are home for the summer and you are tired of the constant, "What are we going to do now?" or "I am bored!", landscaping can be just as much fun. Here are some ways that you can pique their interests and get them involved in making the yard as beautiful for you as it can be for them.

The planning stage

Get the kids involved in planning how you will transform the yard. Ask for their ideas and try to find ways to implement some of them. If you have small children, let them use paper and crayons to draw out their ideas. This will take a little time and is another opportunity for more activity. Another thing you might do, is to take them walking or riding around the neighborhood to get some ideas for your garden layout.

Give them a garden patch

Give each child a small section of the yard for their own flowers. Let them choose the flowers and where to plant them. Do you remember the first time you planted something? Did you watch it every day to see if it had sprouted? Can you remember the first leaf you saw coming up from the earth? What an exciting feeling! Try to recreate that for your kids. Allow them to water their plants and take care of them.

Let them choose the garden statues

Get a catalog and let them choose which statues to buy. When you have ordered the statues have them cut them out and glue them to a board for a great indoor activity. If you are buying the statues from a local store, let them go with you and help to choose. Ask them why they make the choices and listen to their stories. You will be pleasantly surprised and will have more stories to tell your parents and friends.

Once you receive the statues, let them help to decide where in the garden to place them. If they select gnomes or animals let them select names for them, you will have more to add to your family code language!

Need help laying those stones?

If you plan to have a stone patch in your garden, let the kids help to lay the stones in patterns. Choose different colors like white and red and let them help to decide which stones should go with which plants.

Make it a garden for them

If you have a backyard, add a little playhouse for them or a swing. Remember, your yard can be beautifully landscaped and very pleasant for company, but if your children cannot have fun in it, it will become meaningless for them.

Have fun!

On the first day of the project, plan a picnic on the grass. During the planting and stone-laying, wear wide brimmed hats. Give them colorful little shovels and buckets to do their work. When the work is done, have a special little celebration in the garden. Relax and let them have fun. You will not only create a garden of flowers but you will cultivate memories of affection.