I’m no expert on gardening. But I am reasonably experienced in hanging out with little kids. Last year, I began actually paying attention to my front yard, specifically the little garden. My preschooler helped me out with a lot of the preparation. Here are some tips I’ve put together for gardening with your little one:
1. Apply sunscreen and wear sun-safe clothing. Whether this means hats or even sunproof shirts, you need to make sure your little one is safe from burns that can crop up quickly in nice weather.
2. Invest in a few kid-safe tools. You child is going to want to help. You probably don’t want him digging around with sharp, adult-shaped tools. Check out your local big box story for a plastic shovel or small rake to get things started.
3. Plant hard-to-kill plants. I learned the hard way that little kids don’t like it when your black thumb destroys they flowers they got all attached to. Ask your local garden center what plants will be longest lasting and foolproof.
4. Give your child a concrete task. If left to her own devices, your child may end up “weeding” away all your seedlings. Set up some specific tasks, like transferring planting soil to pots or watering well-established plants.
