Share Nature with Your Children Through Gardening

Parents who want to share with their children a love and respect for nature have no further to look than their own back yard. Growing your own family garden is an excellent way to show children the beauty in nature and connect them with the earth.

For many children their only experience with nature is watching it from the comfort of their living rooms as scenes flash across their television screen. Getting outside, even just as far as your own back yard, offers a welcome escape from the abstract images children are often bombarded with. Letting your children share in a family garden helps to ground them and teaches them to appreciate the natural world.

You do not really need much to work on a garden with your family. Any small patch of land in your yard can be converted into a small garden just big enough for your children to enjoy. Let your children dig and till the area, pull up weeds, and pick out any rocks or debris. Even young children can get their hands dirty digging through the clumps of dirt weeds and grass pulled out. As you work tell them about any worms or bugs they might find, explain why the weeds need to be removed, and share any memories you might have about gardening. Be sure to listen as well, let your children talk to you about their views on the garden and anything else that digging in the dirt might bring up for them.

Let your children choose what seeds they want to plant in the garden. Do they want flowers or vegetables? Help them to find information on the plants they are interested in growing and encourage them to research the plants to be certain that they will grow where you have prepared. If there is a local nursery near you it can be rewarding to take your children and let them explore the plants with all of their senses. For some children having a hands on experience with the plants is the perfect way to connect with nature.

If it is not the right season to start a garden there are still many ways to get your children out and help them be a part of the garden to come. They can clear an area of any debris that might be in the way, shred sticks and pieces of wood to make mulch or gather fallen leaves to make compost. If you have space inside your house you can even help your children to grow plants out of season in containers inside.

Taking your children outside and helping them grow their own garden is a great way to cultivate a love and respect for nature. Getting your children outside and interacting with the environment in their own backyard is a wonderful way to ground and connect with the earth.