Can allotments be fun for toddlers?

[Allotmenthacker]

Hey guys,

I've decided to challenge myself this year by trying to make my allotment an entertaining place for my two year old.

i've got three main ideas:

• a sandpit
• a bean tunnel
• soft fruit treasure hunt

Has anyone else got any good tips on entertaining the "too young for growing their own" down at the plot.

Thanks for your help!

AH

p.s. As it's my 2013 challenge, I've even decided to blog about it
Three ideas for entertaining kids at the allotment | AllotmentHacker

[WendyC]

Anything with water from memory. Long time since mine were toddlers!

[Two_Sheds]

It's hard to keep them off the beds, they have no idea where they can or can't walk.

I supply a heap of soil, a bucket of water, and kiddy-tools. They don't get bored with that, and they come back to the shed for frequent picnic snacks

[cptncrackoff]

Hi,
My two year old is 3 in a couple of weeks, she loves it there!
She's clued up on whats 'ours' and whats not, and has her own little corner where she can 'do digging', generally very heavy handed, but if you have anything that you need drowning, shes pretty handy with a watering can!
And squashing snails, she loves that!

[redser]

As it happens I just set up an area with wood chip and put a sandpit on it. Added a load of cheap plastic tat from the 2 euro shop and brought the boys up. They loved it. It had been painful with them being so young before. Either they would get bored or I would get frustrated with them causing damage. Another thing they love is using the hose! Hopefully the sand pit will encourage them up more and they can get into the planting bit by bit.

[Linzy]

As a defense mechanism i quite often revert back to being a toddler, i mean why not it quite clearly is one of the best ages to be. If i where a toddler i would like

• a sandpit
• a chocolate egg hunt
• a pumpkin (Cinderella had one)
• a small pond complete with a boat (obviously a shallow one)
• a soft grassy play area
• mud mud mud i would love a bowl and spoon to play in the mud
• a net to catch butterflies

I could think of loads more and rather worryingly most of the above ive had in the last year and im 24!!

[chris]

I have wood chip paths - my 3 year old knows to stay on them, but 1 year old just runs across anything, and everything. I could do with one of those dog spike things and a long lead for her - to stop her running across other plots (thankfully, no one has anything planted () so last time it wasn't an issue -- but still I'd be annoyed if I saw some little toerag running amok across my plot).

Anyway, I have prepared a small area which are my children's beds - one has flowers in it, the other she can plant what ever she wants in there. They have their own set of tools, and seeds that I don't want anymore - but yes, watering is a firm favourite!

[ugley_matt]

Was out in the garden at the weekend and my 3 year old and 16 month old were both helping out digging in the raised beds. They've both helped plant the larger seeds too. Keeps them entertained all day.

[Scarlet]

[*]a net to catch butterflies

When my boys were little they loved fly swats

[bearded bloke]

They could grow some sunflowers,big seeds rapid & impressive growth,then they can feed the seeds to the chooks double bubble

[salome2001]

my vote is the sandpit. Add a kiddy watering can and some plastic diggers. Also a small spade and fork to make tunnels.
Give them permission to dig in an unused bed
Get them to help plant seedlings or dig up potatoes
And then when all else fails, stick them in a shaded pushchair with Chuggington on the ipod.
PS. We have another snailcrusher here... best acheived by dropping half bricks on them

[Allotmenthacker]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your tips - I'm definitely going to go down the sandpit route, but maybe I'll also prepare a pile of mud especially!

[frogga]

My daughter is 3 in 5 weeks time, she's done 9 hours in the garden today, sowing, filling pots with compost, setting up runner bean sticks. Her favourite thing is minibeast hunting and watering. She is always very alert and loves hunting for slugs.

We also have chickens, however the food is locked otherwise we would have the fattest hens in the land.

Andrew

[Yorkistransplant]

I got mine son interested by growing lollipop plants, plant a jelly bean and in a day or two swap a lollipop. He loved it, I wish I had room for a sandpit.