Cultivating a Garden with Your Kids
Image via Olive & Cocoa
Being cooped up in the house these past few months definitely hasn’t been easy, especially with kids running around. If you’re running out of fun and educational activities to keep your children engaged, consider making a windowsill garden your next family project! This is a great activity to share with the kids as you can build, nurture, and watch them grow together. There are many different types of gardens you can create, depending on your family’s needs and interests. Take a look at our roundup of ideas below and then grow a garden for you and your family to enjoy!
Herb Garden
One of the most useful gardens that you can keep on a sunny windowsill is a garden made of herbs. Once these herbs grow, you can use them in recipes of all kinds and show your kiddos that they can grow simple edible things. You can customize your garden however you want, but some popular herbs that grow very well on a windowsill include basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, rosemary, sage, and parsley. It can also save some money at the grocery store as you’ll have fresh herbs on command without the hassle of shopping. Teaching your kids how to care for herbs is easy with this guide from Better Homes & Gardens. Also, don’t be afraid to build your own DIY herb planter with your kids—just keep in mind a lot of adult supervision will be required.
Flower Garden
Flower gardens, although beautiful and elegant, can require a bit more care and attention than herb gardens depending on what you’d like to plant. Some fun and easy flowers to grow with your kids are sunflowers, marigolds, and snapdragons. Beyond practical gardening skills, flower gardens can really teach us and our children how to sit back and appreciate the beauty of nature. Check out this helpful guide on plants that are great to grow with kids. Once you’ve decided what flowers you’d like to grow, try thinking of some creative ways to decorate flower pots for when the plant is mature. It’s fun to go out in nature and collect things like moss, wood chips, and pinecones to decorate your plant pots for a fun and rustic look!
Pet Rock Garden
Want to try something out of the ordinary? Don’t have a green thumb? A DIY pet rock garden may be the perfect solution to trying something fun and new without figuring out the ins and outs of gardening. It’s simple: go out in nature with the kids and have them collect rocks! Once you have your pet rocks, bring out the crafts and paints to decorate each rock. It’s fun to give each rock their own personality and come up with amusing names for all of the new pets! Check out this guide to decorating rocks including fun fluffy pet rocks, pet panda rocks, ladybug rocks, and more. Just make sure you have some good paint handy!
Fairy Garden
A fairy garden is a fun way to get outside and get creative without the need of growing new plants. You and the kids can even build a fairy garden into your current landscaping. Fairy gardening is as easy as creating a home where a fairy might reside. Have the kids think of what the fairy may need to live a cozy lifestyle in the plants. You can even order miniature objects for fairy gardens online at Michael’s. Want to make the project extra special? Combine the fairy garden with some of the projects mentioned above. Pet rock fairy garden anyone?
Feel free to customize your garden any way you want. Tag SmartSitting in Facebook and Instagram posts so we can see and share your garden posts on our channels. Want to know more about our tips and tricks? Make sure you sign up for our newsletter for all the latest info coming from our team!