Top gardening lessons for your kids

Nature is the best teacher and also a great playmate. Gardening can be a combination of playing and learning for kids, irrespective of age. We have some gardening suggestions for children that are practical, safe and educational, and also a lot of fun.  

The wonder of seeds  
The obvious activity to begin with is sowing. Watching life germinate can be a wonderful experience for a child. If you have a garden, give your kid his or her own patch, a trowel or small shovel, and a handful of seeds for plants that grow quickly. If space is a problem, get them to clean plastic food containers, put some soil or wet paper towels in them, and a few sprouts or mustard seed. Once the plants appear, the child can move the container near a window or balcony to get it more sunlight. The child is responsible for watering and protecting the plants.  

Fun plant biology lesson
Bring Biology lessons to life. Get your child a scrapbook or drawing or writing pad, and ask them to note each stage of the plant’s growth with illustrations. This is learning plant life cycle first hand. If the child is old enough to handle a mobile or camera, ask them to photograph every stage and create an Instagram album. While your kid is planting gram, chickpea or 9 o’clock, you are planting the first seeds of imagination and responsibility in them.  

Introduction to bugs 
This is not as messy as it sounds. Plants attract ants, earthworms, bees and flies. Instead of just swatting them, get your kid to observe and draw them. Can he or she guess what the insects do? Teach them about soil tunnelling, laying eggs and seed dispersal. The drawings can open up endless creative and science learning possibilities too.  

Den in the garden 
Children love having their own corner. Gardening is a chance to move them towards outdoor activities, work out the energy and get some sun. If it’s just a few potted plants or even plants grown out of old containers, it’s still a ‘garden’. Help your kid build a little shack with old sheets and sticks, and it can be a fairy tale corner for them.