The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom… and there’s no better time of the year to introduce your youngsters to the wonders of gardening and all things that grow!

However, as much as kids love running around the garden and getting dirty, getting their fingers green is a different matter. Here are five great ways you can get your little ones interested in gardening from an early age!

Start out small…

Let’s face it, even the best-behaved children can have a limited attention span. That’s why, when trying to get them interested in a hobby such as gardening, it’s best to start out small. Try buying them a single plant pot to care for at first, or maybe let them plant and water their first pack of seeds and see the results before going any further. By easing them into gardening, you’re much more likely to pique their interest as opposed to doing too much straight away and giving them more than their developing minds can handle!

Let them lead the way

Once you’ve sown the first seeds of interest, ask them how they would like to continue. After all, a child is far more likely to enjoy a hobby such as gardening if they’re given the freedom to learn of their own accord. Of course, you still need to oversee the process and guide them in the right direction… but letting them focus on the areas of the garden that interest them most is a great way to keep them intrigued. Whether this is letting them choose which plants they want to try growing or letting them pick a spot in the garden to call their own and do with as they please, that sense of independence and discovery can work wonders!

Add a creative flair

At the end of the day, kids just want to have fun. That’s why it’s up to you, as a parent, sibling or relative, to show them what an enjoyable activity it can be. Fortunately, you can make gardening fun in a variety of different ways. You could help your young ones paint plant pots, name their plants or pick the most colourful and “fun-looking” flowers to keep their attention. Whatever helps to keep them excited by the prospect of gardening, growing and all things green!

Show them it’s okay to fail

Of course, even adults aren’t likely to get gardening right the first time around. Plants may die, or not even grow at all, so it’s important to remind youngsters that it’s okay to fail at first. After all, failing is how we learn and grow, and this can be used as a lesson to teach your little ones the value of perseverance. So, next time the child you’re teaching gardening to slips up or makes a mistake, remind them that it’s okay and that the lesson will only help to shape them as a budding young gardener!

Reward their efforts

Finally, make sure you reward them for trying, whether they take to gardening or not. After all, even a hobby as wonderful as gardening isn’t for everyone. However, by rewarding your children for trying, you’re far more likely to keep them enthused by the prospect of trying new things and stepping out of their comfort zone. And who knows? That extra bit of encouragement may help to shape them into a talented gardener yet!

While you’re here and considering helping a new generation discover the wonders of gardening, you should make sure you’re well equipped! Head over to our blog post on 12 excellent gardening tools you could be missing out on to get your gardening gear up to date.

Tags: garden, Gardening, Gardening Advice, Gardening Tips