Getting out in the garden can set you up for a spectacular summer holiday with the kids. It’s a chance to enjoy the sunshine, boost vitamin D levels and is also a great opportunity to teach them all about the goodness of gardening. So, put on your gardening gloves, grab the kids and let’s jump into summer fun in sun.
Watching Wildlife
Embrace the magnitude of wildlife that’s present in your outdoor spaces. Kids will love creating their own butterfly garden. Get them to plant a patch of butterfly-friendly buds such as lavender or common knapweed. If you’re buying these from the garden centre, many pollinator-friendly cultivars display the bee symbol. My kids make a game of who can spot the most symbols and it really teaches them the importance of wildflowers and where bees and butterflies find their food sources.
The first thing you do before getting stuck into gardening tasks is to pop on some protective gloves and your little ones will watch you doing this and want to join in. You can keep their young hands safe and unrestricted with children’s gloves made especially with them in mind. I’ve found that the BUDS range from Globus Group are really comfy for them to wear all day, due to the elasticated wrist—plus they’re available in two colours and long lasting.
Of course, don’t forget that butterflies require water. Fill a shallow pebble-filled dish with some water and assign your children with the task of filling up the dish regularly. They’ll find this an important job to do and it will encourage them to take ownership in the garden. If you leave the dish at a low ground level, you may just encourage hedgehogs into your garden.
Label with Lollies
Two things that shout summer fun are ice lollies and beautiful flowers and I bet you have lots of both. Now that you’ve planted up new flowers, you can take the opportunity to label them correctly. My kids love doing this because they can get the arts and crafts supplies out and be creative with writing (or drawing) the labels, while I get a chance to teach them the plant names.
Wooden ice lolly sticks work really well as plant labels and, chances are, you’ll have loads to hand. If not, it’s an excuse to enjoy some more! After the painting is done, pop on some gardening gloves that have the right level of tactility (try the SHOWA 381 or the SHOWA 370 Floreo gloves) and situate the sticks in the ground next to your newly planted additions. Ideally, they need to be positioned to a depth of a few inches, so leave a blank space free when painting your designs as this bit won’t be visible under the earth.
Built for fun
With the longer summer days, one of my favourite activities with the kids is building a tipi or yurt. It’s quite easy once you know how, just tie together four or more long bamboo canes and cover in light canvas material—a bedsheet will do. This will also provide shade in the heat of the day and serves a place for imaginative play.
The good thing about an easy-build structure like this is that you can take it down when you’re done, put it away and get it out again next year. Your grass won’t suffer if structures are put away, instead of covering your luscious lawn all summer long.
Gloves designed specifically for children are key here, like the SHOWA 370 Floreo XS gloves from Globus Group. This is going to give delicate hands protection from splinters and excellent grip whilst remaining dexterous and breathable in hotter weather.
I actually have a pair of the matching adult-sized gloves and it’s really special to share the experience of gardening with the next generation.
So, this summer holiday, plan for active and imaginative time out in the garden and not only will the kids benefit, but the garden will too.