10 tips for gardening with children

Our gardens offer a world of excitement and intrigue for children. From watching bees visit flowers to finding out what's living in your pond or making a parent-free den, there's plenty to occupy and educate them, which will help them develop a meaningful relationship with the outdoors. Giving children their own space to play, as well as trusting them to explore and play without structure, is a great way to foster good decision-making skills, independence and good mental health.

As well as undertaking garden projects with your children, it's a good idea to set aside cosy outdoor seating areas where they can eat, play and read.

Grow your own food

Handful of strawberries — Gardening with children - growing your own food

Growing fruit, veg and herbs is one of the best ways to get children into gardening. Choose easy crops to grow like strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes and apples, or fast-growing veg like salad leaves and radishes. Large crops like pumpkins can be lots of fun, especially if you then carve them for Halloween. If you can, it's a good idea to give your kids a dedicated space that they can call their own, and encourage them to sow the seeds or plant the plants themselves, so they can be involved in the whole process from plot to plate.

Grow carnivorous plants

Sundews (Drosera) — Gardening with children - growing carnivorous plants

Children are fascinated by carnivorous plants. Venus fly traps and sundews (pictured) respond to touch and children will have fun watching flies get caught in the sticky traps. Other carnivorous plants to grow include pitcher plants, also known as sarracenias.

Create a mini jungle

Phyllostachys aureosulcata — Gardening with children - create a mini-jungle

Using plants to create a 'mini-jungle' is a great way to create an area of the garden where your children can explore and create dens. Choose tall plants like bamboo, along with ferns and hardy palms. Why not get the children involved with the planting?

Grow 'monster' plants

Gardening with kids - grow sunflowers — Gardening with children - grow sunflowers

Sunflowers are easy to grow from seed and can grow up to 2m tall if fed and watered carefully. Sow seeds with your children in pots in April and then plant them outside in late May. Protect young plants from slugs and snails. It's fun for children to measure how tall their plants grow and how they can influence the height of their sunflowers by feeding and watering.

Create a living tunnel or shelter

White willow (Salix alba) — Gardening with children - make living dens and sculptures

A living den or sculpture is a great way to get children into gardening, while giving them a dedicated space they can call their own. You can buy special kits containing individual willow 'withies' that you can plant and weave together to create structures like arches and dens – you can even find kits that show you how to construct whale- or igloo-shaped shelters. These structures will grow and last for years, providing a long-term retreat or hideaway for children to enjoy.

Make wildlife habitats

Frog at the surface of a pond — Gardening with children - create wildlife habitats

Creating wildlife habitats is one of the most joyful, yet educational activities you can do with your children in the garden. Kids will love watching the wildlife and it's fun working out how to attract specific species. You could do anything from plant a bee border to laying a slow-worm refuge or digging a pond. Why not buy some wildlife identification charts and set tasks for your children to record the wildlife that turns up to the habitats they've created?

Wildlife gardening projects to try:

Be creative

Painting a terracotta pot — Gardening with children - be creative

There are plenty of creative projects you can do in the garden, from painting plant pots and planters to making outdoor tea-light holders and even bird feeders.

Creative projects to try:

Grow fragrant plants

Common jasmine (Jasminum officinale) — Gardening with children - grow fragrant plants

Smelling scented flowers can evoke some of the strongest childhood memories, so growing fragrant plants in your garden is a lovely thing to do for your kids. Encourage your children to pick out their favourite smells and create their own fragrant garden. You could even encourage them to mash up flowers of different plants to create their own 'perfume'.

Fragrant plants to grow:

Make dens and hides

Painted cardboard fort — Gardening with children - build a den or hide

A large cardboard box could be all you need to create a simple den or fort, or even a camouflaged bird hide (pictured). Encourage your children to paint their own designs, using poster paint.

Build a treehouse

Treehouse in the garden — Gardening with children - build a treehouse

A treehouse is the ultimate garden retreat for children. Choose a big, sturdy tree and find designs online that meets your requirements. Then build your own or commission someone to build it for you.

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