Gardening With Children

[Chef_uk]

I have identical twin 4 year old girls. One loves gardening, the other hates it. Our 5 year old son is in between, Go figure

[BUFFS]

i saw the title of this topic and i immediately thought of when they used to send small kids up the chimneys,i wondered if you had a new use for them....maybe half term scarecrows?,weeding under gooseberry bushes? its okay,just joking....for now....

[veggiechicken]

I've been having similar thoughts Buffs, I wanted to say - "Wouldn't a spade be better" but I haven't - until now!!

[WendyC]

He gets reminded of it fairly regularly, not cool for a university student!

[BUFFS]

i love their look of wonder when some seeds they have planted start to grow,i remember my three year old grandson wanting to stroke his tiny seedlings and him having a 5 minute conversation with them,a moment to treasure,never a camera around when you wanted one..

[kathycam]

I don't have children. But I've made "friends" with some plot neighbours children. Sometimes they are a pain and use my plot as a playground. Wooden paths- stepping stones etc. Anyway today they were helping me gather some worms as I was digging. And then they put them in a "safe place" One of the girls who s 4 had a handful of worms and says "the worms are kissing my fingers" I just thought it was cute.

[4390evans]

Ive got 3 kids and the middle child is loving the gardening atm we are gonna get her a little spade rake etc from the £1 shop they are metal so wont be broken like the others. She loves sifting the soil for me and getting all the "eggs" (stones) as she calls them out for me. She loves the thought that she can just go and pick "yarm" (food) off them as she is a massive foodie. She just gets impatient waiting. We planted all the herbs the other day and she was very happy with herself x

[ugley_matt]

You simply cannot beat growing potatoes with kids. The wonder when you dig them up and they can grab the spuds is brilliant. And as a 30 something, you never loose that excitement of the first harvest of the year.

[robcal]

I got my first plot last week, so I'm a complete novice to everything. The plan is to take my boy (2yo) as often as possible. However, the pathways between my raised beds are made of rotting pallets - there are loads of splinters, rusty screws etc. Anyone got any advice on a pathway covering which will be more child-friendly?

Any other tips on keeping a child entertained on an allotment would be appreciated too!

[Linzy]

Oh to be a child again i really believed i had magic beans and would be able to meet a giant when i was little, words can not describe the disappointment that was felt when i realized my runner beans was not even as thick as a pencil and only as tall as my dad (even i had figured that there was not giant floating about near my dads head)