By Shari at MomShar.com.
Last week we had what was hopefully the last snowstorm of the season. Luckily temperatures are rising, snow is melting, and my boys and I will finally get to go back outside!
I did not even attempt to garden the last two years considering we had a baby and moved to a new house, but this year I hope to grow something other than weeds. If I plan to garden at all, I will need my boys by my side, and I have a few strategies to make that happen…
Get Ready
Bring the kids along with you when you go shopping for supplies. Let them pick out their favorite pack of seeds (even if it will never actually grow into something). Let them help you choose between different plant/flower options. Let them pick out their own gardening gloves and gardening tools (you can probably find these at your local dollar store!)
Head to the library and pick up some books about gardening – some for yourself and some for the kids. Look up gardening ideas on Pinterest, and search for kid-friendly gardening videos on YouTube.
Get Outside
Give your kids their own section to create their own garden. They can dig, plant, water, and decorate. They can use their own tools, and their own seeds; and they can can get as dirty as they want!
Bring out some paint to create little rock decorations. They can be monsters, cars, insects, fairies, plant labels, or just pretty colors.
Help them create their own watering cans. Save old gallon milk jugs and simply poke holes in the lid. Easy to fill up, carry, and pour!
Get Clean
This is the most dreaded part, right? You are all covered in dirt and mud, and you would really rather not have it spread throughout the house.
If it’s warm enough, make an outdoor bubble bath with a kiddie pool and Kandoo bubble bath ($0.50 off coupon here!)
If that idea won’t work for you, Kandoo foaming hand soap will. My boys love this stuff! The kind that we have smells like green melon, is foamy, and is neon green.
I don’t have to beg them to wash their hands, and it works great.
Have some more tips for me? I’d love to hear them! Simply tweet your gardening with kids advice to @mom_shar & @kandookids.
Meet the Author
Shari Medini lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with a supportive husband and two busy, little boys. Shari has written for The Huffington Post, NickMom, & Scary Mommy; but she blogs most regularly at MomShar.com. Keep up with her & her cuties on Instagram: @mom_shar.
Read her blog here.
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