More and more children nowadays prefer to sit indoors watching TV or playing video games, and very few want to go out and play in the garden. It can be difficult to convince your children that there is fun to be had outside as well, but it is possible!
A sunny day is prime time to get your children out of the house and into the garden. To encourage them to stay out there, try incorporating these things into your garden ready for next summer.
1 . Start a Butterfly Garden
Planting flowers and other plants that butterflies love will attract them to your garden, and your children will be thrilled to see them. You can work together to plant the butterfly garden in the first place, and then once it’s planted, you can go outside to see how it’s doing and if any butterflies have popped by.
A fun game to play would be counting how many butterflies there are and how many different types there are. Start a record of the butterflies that have visited so that you can look back on the memories you and your children collected.
2. Build a Pond
Building a pond into your garden is a fantastic way to encourage your kids to enjoy the outdoors. With pond garden filters, the pond will be clear enough to see all the plants and creatures that reside in it. Your children can learn all about how a pond works as an ecosystem. If you introduce some fish to the pond as well, they’ll have even more to get excited about.
3. Get a Swing Set
Kids love parks, and the main reason for this is all the features available, such as swings and slides. Bring a bit of the park into your garden with a swing set. You do, however, need to learn how to keep the swing well looked after and free from too much rust.
4. Get Them Involved with the Gardening
No child wants to feel left out, so this is the perfect opportunity to get them involved with your chores around the garden. Ask them to help you out with watering the plants or pulling out a few weeds. They can even help you to plant new flowers.
When they have an activity to do, kids will be more than happy to help.
5. Tell Them It’s Okay to Get Dirty
The garden is naturally full of dirt; if your children play in it, they’ll get grass stains on their jeans and knees, mud on their faces, and so on, but you need to tell them that this is okay. Some children may be afraid of getting their clothes dirty, and they need the ‘ok’ from a parent to let loose.
6. Have a Picnic Outside
Eating lunch or dinner outside is a great way to get the kids outside in the first place. They will all follow where the food goes, and it’s a fantastic chance to spend time together as well. Bust out the old picnic blanket and enjoy a few sandwiches and cakes together.
There is nothing wrong with your children wanting to play video games or stay indoors, but when the weather is nice out, a little encouragement to sit outside in the garden for fresh air can do them a whole lot of good.
