Growing a cut flower garden with kids 

Starting and growing a cut flower garden is a relaxing and beautiful hobby. Involving children in the planning, growing, and harvesting of flowers can be a great learning and bonding experience. No matter your previous gardening experience, this post is designed to help you get started growing your own cut flower garden. I’m sharing some great plants to start off incorporating into your garden or yard, including a list of the easiest flowers to grow for kids and beginners. 

What is a cut flower garden?

A cut flower garden is a garden specifically for flowers or foliage that will be harvested for fresh or dried bouquets and flower arrangements. The flowers are selected based on their bloom time, size, and color. Ideally, they have long stems and bright colors and maintain a long shelf life in a vase. Cut flowers can be annuals or perennials, flowers, filler plants, bushes, and foliage. Purposefully choosing a wide variety of flowers with differing bloom times will allow you to enjoy bouquets throughout the growing season, including spring, summer, and fall. These plants intended for cutting can be planted throughout your outdoor landscaping or in a separate area designated for cutting. 

Benefits of growing a cut flower garden with kids

Growing a cut flower garden with kids can offer numerous benefits and educational opportunities. Here are a few benefits of growing a cut flower garden with your kids:

• Botanical knowledge: Kids can learn about various flowers, their life cycles, and the different parts of plants.
• Science skills: Observing the growth process teaches them about biology, ecology, and the importance of sunlight, water, and soil.
• Responsibility: Caring for the garden instills a sense of responsibility as kids learn to water, weed, and nurture the plants.
• Patience and delayed gratification: Waiting for flowers to bloom teaches patience and the reward of delayed gratification.
• Appreciation for nature: Kids develop a deeper appreciation for the environment and the beauty of nature.
• Environmental stewardship: Caring for plants helps instill a sense of environmental responsibility and stewardship.
• Creativity through floral arranging: Picking and arranging flowers encourages creativity and artistic expression and teaches art principles like color theory, lines, and textures.
• Sensory stimulation: Engaging with flowers provides a sensory-rich experience, from touching the petals to smelling the blooms.
• Tactile learning: Gardening involves hands-on activities that enhance tactile learning.
• Outdoor exercise: Gardening is a physical activity that encourages kids to spend time outdoors and get exercise in a natural setting.
• Sense of accomplishment: Watching their garden bloom gives children a sense of accomplishment and boosts their self-esteem.
• Stress reduction: Being in nature and tending to plants has been shown to reduce stress and promote overall well-being.
• Math and organizational skills: Involving kids in planning the garden layout and spacing of plants enhances their math and organizational skills.
• Culinary exploration: Some flowers are edible, and kids can explore using them in culinary activities, adding another dimension to their learning.
• Teamwork: Gardening can be a collaborative effort, promoting teamwork and social interaction among kids.
• Sharing and generosity: Kids can share the flowers they grow, teaching them about generosity and sharing with others.

Uses for a cut flower garden

Why should you grow a cut flower garden? The possibilities and reasons are endless! 

First and foremost, the main reason most people grow flowers is because they are beautiful. Flowers not only make your garden and landscape more captivating and enticing but harvesting flowers from your garden allows you to create stunning and fresh floral arrangements to decorate your home. Handpicked flowers make thoughtful and personalized gifts for friends and family. Growing your own flowers can be cost-effective compared to purchasing floral bouquets regularly.

Flower gardens attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, contributing to the health of the local ecosystem. Growing your own flowers supports local and sustainable practices, reducing the environmental impact associated with commercially grown and transported flowers.

And, of course, gardening and working with flowers have therapeutic benefits, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. The act of nurturing plants and watching them bloom can positively impact mental well-being. Gardening and cultivating a cut flower garden can be a rewarding and enjoyable hobby, offering a connection to nature and a break from daily routines.

How to set up your cut flower garden

Before choosing your flowers, you’ll need to figure out where to plant them so your garden will flourish. There are a few factors that make for a great cut flower garden location: access to sunlight, protection from the wind, a well-drained area, and healthy soil. 

Where to plant your cut garden

First, decide where you will be planting these flowers and foliage. Will you have a separate bed just for cut flowers, or will you space them out among your current landscaping? A cut flower garden doesn’t have to take up a lot of room. You can easily grow from the small pots on the porch, in a raised bed in the backyard, or on a sunny windowsill! 

Find a location in your yard that receives adequate sunlight. Most flowers prefer full sun, so picking a spot that achieves 6-8 hours of sunlight per day is ideal. This will also satisfy any flowers that require partial sun. Be sure to check the back of the seed packets for sunlight requirements.

Also, consider wind and rain exposure. Lots of flowers grow fairly tall, and a strong wind can easily break them down. See if you can give them some protection from the elements if you live in a blustery or rainy environment.

It’s also important to find a well-drained area that won’t hold rainwater. Flowers don’t like to be kept overly moist, and too much water, especially standing water, will impede your flowers from growing and thriving.

Finally, a cut garden also needs fertile, workable soil (typically topsoil and compost). Obtaining a soil test will help you to determine what nutrients you might be missing in your soil, so you can add those missing nutrients back into the soil. Adding organic matter, including compost, leaf litter, and composted manure, will add nutrients to the soil and assist with proper water retention and drainage.

Creating flower beds

If you will be making new beds for your cut garden, it’s best to have long and narrow beds with room to walk in between. This way, you can reach all of the flowers for cutting. When gardening with children, you will want to make sure the flowers won’t be too high up for them to cut. So keep tall flowers on the ground and shorter flowers and raised beds. 

I have my cut flowers planted on the ground around my raised garden beds. Many cut flowers are also deer-resistant, so last year, I planted them around my vegetable garden for a dual purpose!

Easy, kid-friendly flowers to grow in your cut garden 

There are so many different flowers and foliage that can be grown in a cut flower garden. When choosing flowers, consider a mix of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. This will give you the most variety in your flower arrangements! Depending on what climate zone (find your hardiness zone here) you are in, you will have different plants that are appropriate for your area.  When growing with kids, it’s best to choose flowers that are low-maintenance and have showy, colorful blooms to drool over.

Here are a few of my favorite flowers that can be grown almost anywhere with a little maintenance.

Annuals (needs planning every year)

• Zinnias 
• Cosmos
• Sunflowers 
• Celosia 
• Snapdragons
• Nasturtium
• Sweet peas

Perennial plants and flowers (comes back each year)

• Black-eyed Susan’s 
• Echinacea (cone glower)
• Yarrow
• Aster 
• Daisies
• Hydrangeas
• Dahlias (perennial, depending on where you live)
• Tulips
• Peonies

Greens and fillers to grow in your cut garden 

Fillers and foliage not only give contrast and texture to flower arrangements, but they can also offer beautiful scents! Here are some easy-to-grow greens and fillers!

• Bells of Ireland 
• Green or purple Basil 
• Mint 
• Dill 

Tips for choosing cut flower seeds and bulbs 

Once you have decided where you will be planting, you will need to choose the right seeds or bulbs for that area. If you want your cut garden to produce across seasons, you’ll need to consider this when choosing your flowers. Bulbs will have to be planted in the fall for spring blooms.  Seeds can be planted in the spring for summer and fall blooms.

In order to get the most out of your garden for the longest time, I suggest picking different varieties of spring and summer flowers for each location. An example would be planting tulips or daffodils in the same area as Black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers. Since these flowers grow in different seasons, they will not be competing with each other for nutrients, but they’ll maximize the number of flowers you can get out of one location. 

Another thing to consider when choosing your seeds is germination time. Germination time is the time it takes for the seed to begin to sprout. Seeds that have a long germination time will be more difficult to grow and will need to be started indoors if you live in a cooler climate. Flowers like sunflowers and zinnias usually germinate in a week or so, which makes them ideal for anxious kids who are ready to see their flowers growing. 

Where to find flower seeds, plants, and bulbs

There are lots of places you can get seeds, bulbs, plants, tubers, and transplants. For starters, check with your local nurseries or garden centers. This way you can see the flowers in person and ask any questions to the knowledgeable staff. In addition, starting in early spring, you should be able to find seed packets at your local hardware store, grocery store, farmer’s markets, or even the dollar store! Get the kids involved in this process and let them choose a flower, plant, or seed packet. 

Planting seeds indoors

If you are itching to get the garden started, there are many options for starting your flowers indoors. This is also a fun way to get kids excited about spring and working in the garden. Most seeds will tell you on the back of their packet when to start indoors. Some seed flowers prefer to be sowed directly in the ground, so those will have to wait to be planted until after the danger of frost.

To start seeds inside, you will need:

• Seed starting soil
• Seed starting cells and trays 
• light source (window or grow lights)
• warm area 

Tips for starting seeds inside

To begin, mix some water with your seed-starting soil.  The soil should be damp but not soupy. Fill the cells or pots with the mixture. Read the package for the desired planting depth. Make a small space in the middle of the pot or cell and plant the seed at the correct depth. Make sure you label what you have planted!  

Place your newly planted seeds in a warm place with plenty of natural light or under a grow light. You will want to keep the seed nice and damp while waiting for germination! You can use a fan blowing on your seed tray to mimic wind, which can help the stalks grow stronger. 

For bigger seeds like sunflowers, it can be fun to fold them into a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag and a warm area. This way, you can watch the seeds begin to sprout. After they sprout, plant them at the desired depth in a small pot or cell. 

Once your seeds have sprouted and you’re out of the danger of frost, you can begin to move your sprouts outside. It is a good idea to put your trays of seeds/seedlings outside for a few hours on warm days to help them get acclimated to the wind, bright sun, and outdoor temperatures before planting. A few hours a day is a good start. 

Planting bulbs outdoors

Bulb planting typically happens in the fall before the first frost. Each plant will have a specific planting depth and spacing, so be sure to follow the directions for that plant. Planting bulbs in the fall will help your garden span more seasons, as these plants usually come up in the spring prior to the last frost. This gives you fresh flowers sooner!

Here are some easy bulbs that grow flowers great for cutting: 

• Tulips 
• Daffodil
• Hyacinth 
• Hosta
• Iris
• Crocus

Planting seeds outdoors

Seed planting typically happens in the spring after the danger of the last frost. For perennials, you will only have to plant one time, and then they will come up each year. For annuals, you will have to plant them again each year. Although, there are some annuals that will re-seed themselves.

Before planting your seeds, make sure the ground is raked and loose so the seeds can enter the soil. If you are planting in a small space or between other landscaping, be sure to give your seeds enough room for their full height and width. If you are planting in a large area, spreading the seeds around by hand can be a great task for your child.

Once the seeds have been planted, be sure to keep the ground damp for a few weeks to help the seeds germinate. You may have to watch out for squirrels and chipmunks, who love to feed on sunflower seedlings!

Transplanting seedlings outdoors

Transplanting your seedlings (that you started indoors) outdoors will also happen after the danger of the last frost. It is a good idea to put your seedlings outside for a few hours each day before transplanting outside. That way, they can get acclimated to temperatures and wind.

To transplant your seedlings, gently take the entire root bundle from its cell.  And make your hole a little deeper than the depth of the cell. Put your root bundle in the hole and cover it completely. Again, make sure to keep the soil moist for the first couple of weeks after transplanting.

Caring for your cut flower garden

Between planting your garden and harvesting flowers, you’ll need to care for and maintain your cut flower garden. It will be important to keep the weeds or grass from growing around your growing flowers. Weeding is a great task for kids; just make sure they know what is a weed and what is a flower! Weeding can be done as often as every day or as little as once a week, depending on where your garden is located.

It will also be important to monitor how much rain your garden is getting. If you go more than a few days without rain, it’s a good idea to water them. It is best to water early in the morning or late in the evening. Again, watering the flowers is a great task for kids. Kids love using the garden hose; just be sure to show them how to water the plants properly (not too hard of spray) and not too much.  

You may also want to fertilize your flowers twice a month with a well-balanced fertilizer. 

Some flowers may need support, such as staking, netting, or corralling. For simple purposes at home, I would suggest using bamboo stakes and plant velcro to help support your flowers upright to get straighter stems.

How to make gardening fun for kids

There are so many ways to get the kids involved in the gardening process and make it fun for them. When planning your cut flower garden, be sure to involve kids in the seed-choosing process. Ask them to choose their favorite color flower, or let them pick a seed packet to plant. A specific color flower for each kid would be fun if you have multiple kids.

Get them involved in the maintenance process, too! It’s more fun when you dress the part, right? Getting some kid-size gardening gloves, a fun apron, and maybe a bucket hat can help kids look and feel ready to help! Smaller tools like shovels,  mini rakes, and small watering cans will make it easier for them to assist in all the different ways we care for the garden!

And finally, make sure they get to help harvest the flowers and enjoy the fruit of their labor by helping make flower arrangements and bouquets. Before cutting, talk to your child about what colors or textures they want in the flower arrangement! Let them be the boss for choosing the flowers, and let the adult do the cutting until it’s appropriate for the child to use shears. 

Harvesting flowers with kids 

Now, we’re ready for the good part…harvesting the flowers! 

For many cut flowers, the more you cut, the more they will bloom. This is definitely the case with cosmos and zinnias! So don’t be afraid to get in there and start cutting when blooming begins. Just be sure to leave enough of the plant so that other buds can grow.

However, some plants are a “one-hit wonder” and will only bloom once. Plants, such as single-stemmed sunflowers and tulips, only produce one flower and then are done. The one-hit wonders you will want to plant more of so that you have more blooms, and you may want to consider succession sowing them.

The best time to cut flowers is at the beginning of bloom or right at peak bloom. When going to cut flowers, it’s a good idea to know what size vase you are going to put them in. That way, you know how long of a stem to cut.

Using garden shears,  cut at a 45° angle, this will allow the stem to get, the most water once in the vase. Harvest cut flowers when it is cool outside, either early in the morning or later in the evening. Place your flowers immediately in a bucket/vase of cool water and let them sit at least a few hours before you work with them. You may want to check the flower for her bugs and spiders before bringing it into the home!

How to make your cut flowers last longer

Once you’ve harvested your cut flowers from the garden, it’s time to arrange them. Here are simple steps to help extend the life of your flower bouquet:

• Remove all the leaves off the bottom of the stem (the part that will be submerged in water) to keep them from rotting underwater.
• Cut the stems at an angle to allow for greater water absorption.
• Add some cut flower food into the vase of water.
• Change the water daily or when it becomes murky (don’t just add more water).
• When changing the water, re-cut the ends of the stems at an angle and add more flower food.
• Remove any flowers or leaves that are dead or dying.
• As you remove dead blooms, downsize to a smaller vase when your bouquet gets smaller.

Creating cut flower arrangements with kids 

There are five design elements to keep in mind when it comes to arranging flowers. These elements are line, color, form, space, and texture. Depending on your child’s age, you may pick anywhere from one or all of these elements to focus on when designing your arrangement.

To start, I would focus on color and texture. These flower bouquets, based on color, will be the easiest for children to identify. When choosing colors for your arrangement, think of choosing complementary colors or analogous colors. Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel, like yellow and purple, or red and green. Analogous colors are colors close together on the color wheel (e.g. yellow, peach, and orange). 

When thinking about texture, try to have the child choose flowers with different petals, sizes, and shapes. Flowers with large petals (like zinnia and peonies), tend to be a more softer texture.  Flowers with small, round, or frilly petals, like aster or yarrow, tend to give a contrasting texture.

When putting arrangements together, start small with just one or two different flowers, keeping their leaves for fill and contrast. As you get better at designing, you can snip the leaves off the stem so you only have the flowers and then choose your own filler flowers and foliage that add to your arrangement’s overall theme. To learn more about floral design, I loved the book Love Language Of Flowers.

Something fun I do with my kids after creating an arrangement is naming it. We usually name our arrangement of beautiful blooms based on its colors. A few examples are Sunset, this arrangement was full of bold magenta, yellows, and oranges like a sunset. Another flower bouquet example is one named Just Peachy; this one was full of peachy colors and lacy floral accents! The best thing about flower arranging is that you can do it however you want! 

Sharing the love of flowers

Once your garden is producing a lot of flowers, you may have enough for multiple arrangements or bouquets. Have your child pick a person to gift an arrangement to and let them do all the work of making it and delivering it.  Not only does this teach your child the importance of giving and sharing, but it will likely make somebody else’s day! Your child will have such a sense of pride when they see how happy their gift has made someone else! In addition to giving flowers to people you know, donating flower arrangements to local nursing homes and community centers can help children feel a sense of accomplishment for all their hard work!

Drying and pressing flowers 

Live flower arrangements are not the only way you can enjoy your flowers. Drying and pressing flowers are a great way to enjoy and preserve your flowers. Flowers like daisies and pansies lend themselves to be easily pressed. Plants like strawflower, lavender, and Celosia can make beautiful dried arrangements that can be enjoyed all year long! You can even use pressed flowers to make a fun Halloween costume, like pressed flower butterfly wings.

Saving and collecting seeds 

Once the blooming season is over, there is still work that can be done in the garden. Flowers like zinnia and cosmos are very easy to collect seeds from to save for the next year. Collecting seeds is not only an easy job for kids, but it is a great way to prepare for next year and save money.  We collect seeds in paper sandwich bags and label them with the type of flower they are. We store these bags in a cool, dry place until next year. Seeds collected from your own garden are also a great gift to give to others!

Sustainability and recycling  

It is important to teach sustainable practices for your cut flower garden. Saving seeds is a great start! Using reusable starter trays instead of plastic ones can also cut down on plastic waste. Used spaghetti jars, glass juice containers, and old mason jars can make great vases for arrangements. When you save these items, not only are you repurposing and recycling, but you have more vases to give away without spending money!

Learning while you grow

Creating a cut flower garden with your children is such a great way to teach science, math, and art skills. The time spent with your children in the garden will increase their confidence and give them a sense of responsibility. Plus, the flower arrangements you create will bring daily joy. It may be difficult getting started this first time, but it’s worth it. And every year, you and your children will learn and grow as people and as gardeners. Each year will be more bountiful, joyful, and meaningful. Good luck with starting your own cut flower garden this year! 

Do you grow cut flowers in your garden?

About the author

Meghan is a midwestern mom of 3 kids and one dog. She is a physical therapist assistant and family photographer. At home, Meghan and her family enjoy gardening (both indoors and outside), riding ATVs, and exploring the river behind their house. When not at home, they can usually be found at the lake or exploring Illinois state parks. Meghan’s family has always loved the outdoors, but they really found a passion for being outside and photography when her oldest son had to undergo a bone marrow transplant as a baby. During her son’s recovery, being outside became a safe place for the whole family to learn, grow, and thrive. 

You can find more from Meghan online in the following locations:
Instagram: @meghangarriott
Meghan’s RWMC posts: Meghan Garriott

The post How to Start & Grow a Cut Flower Garden with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

“Mud is the most poetical thing in the world.” ~ Reginald Horace Blythe

Gardening with kids for connection

Gardening with kids is a wonderful way for families to cultivate a deep connection with natural spaces that are well within reach. Children, like plants, need sunshine, rain, fresh air, and mud to thrive. By spending time with them digging in the dirt, placing seeds just so, and observing their growth, children learn a sense of responsibility for a piece of Earth they call their own.

Children who grow up connected to and feeling responsible for nature become stewards of the planet. Gardening is a great way to establish that connection. It’s also an amazing time for kids to connect with their big people.

And let’s face it, children aren’t the only ones suffering from nature deficit disorder. We could all use a little more time outside nurturing plants and nurturing our own souls. 

Climbing and swinging helps build trunk strength and are fun backyard activities to include when gardening with kids.

Benefits of gardening with kids

There are loads of benefits to getting kids in the garden beyond taking in the ample fresh air. Kids learn through experiencing the world around them. Botany, zoology, ecology, and environmental science are much more effectively taught in the garden than behind a school desk. It’s incredible how sophisticated our little learners can be when the learning is done in the correct context.  

Child health and physical development

Children who learn to grow their food are much more likely to eat it, as well. Have a picky eater? Get them to grow something and watch their innate curiosity trump their skepticism of all things green. But, the health benefits go beyond the dinner plate.

Our bodies move differently in wide-open spaces. Children develop best when learning to navigate unstructured environments like those that can only be provided by the outdoors. Swinging and climbing build strong trunks. Balance is fostered by log hopping. Raking and digging yield upper body strength. 

Perhaps best of all, time spent outdoors is not time spent behind a screen or *cough* time spent fighting about being behind a screen. 

Log hopping is great exercise, and logs add a little whimsy to an outdoor garden space.

Problem-solving and life skills learned through gardening

Gardening teaches life skills. There isn’t a gardener in the world who hasn’t at least once in their life encountered a problem that needed solving. Gardening with children teaches problem-solving, teamwork, observation skills, and organization. 

Kids encounter various challenges in the garden, from dealing with pests and diseases to deciding on the right amount of water and sunlight for their plants. These challenges require them to think critically, come up with solutions, and adapt their strategies as needed.  Additionally, gardening teaches kids the value of teamwork. Whether they are gardening with family members, classmates, or friends, they must collaborate to achieve common goals. Tasks such as planting, weeding, and harvesting require coordination and cooperation. Working together in the garden not only fosters a sense of shared responsibility but also helps kids understand the significance of teamwork in achieving success.

Gardening teaches patience 

Want your child to grow up to be successful? Have them grow alongside a garden!

Foundational research at Stanford by Walter Mischel and colleagues has shown that the ability to delay gratification is strongly correlated with success later in life. All gardeners know that gardening requires patience and persistence. You can nurture your child’s ability to delay gratification, and they will reap the benefits throughout their entire lifetime through gardening. 

Adding a sliding board to a raised bed can go a long way in increasing the fun factor!

The ultimate guide to gardening with kids

Have I persuaded you to get outside with your kids? Leave perfection at the door (there’s no place for it when kids are involved). Just get messy and have fun. You may even learn a thing or two along the way! 

But just in case you aren’t sure where to begin, here’s a guide about all the ins and outs of gardening with the little ones in your life. You’ll learn how to add whimsy and magic to outdoor spaces, how to design garden spaces with kids in mind, basic gardening know-how (e.g., finding your zone, choosing plants that will grow, soil preparation, and all about compost), teaching moments that can be had along the way (STEM in the garden anyone?), and arts and crafts for the colder winter months (you can take a gardener out of the garden, but…). 

So let’s dig in, get dirty, and grow something.  

Select a garden spot and get started 

The right garden space can make or break a garden. That said, gardening can be accomplished nearly anywhere and everywhere. I’ve had tiny balcony gardens in the heat of Arizona, to raised beds in the Pacific Northwest. I rarely have the perfect South-facing plot with amazing sun and good drainage.

If you have a spot like that, by all means, get digging, but don’t let a lack of the “ideal” spot stop your gardening dreams from being realized. Truth be told, plants are tough and life finds a way. Plus, a good deal of the fun with gardening comes from experimenting and observing the results. You may be surprised, and that learning will not be lost in next year’s garden.

Companies like Vego Garden make modular raised beds that can be configured in loads of different ways. This gives so much more flexibility for garden spaces that are tight or awkwardly shaped. They even have kids’ beds and in-ground worm composters to add the good stuff back into your soil. They get bonus points for being so beautiful!

Modular beds grant extra flexibility in the garden space. Of course, don’t expect squash to be contained by anything unless you’re growing vertically.

Consider hardiness zones

When choosing the right spot for your garden, keep some basics in mind. For instance, you can find your hardiness zone here. Use your hardiness zone to choose plants that can survive year-round in your area. Hardiness zones are most important with perennial plants, though, as many plants that you place in a spring or summer garden shouldn’t be expected to survive the winter months. Still, it’s nice to have some plants come back year after year! Using native plants is also a safe bet, as native plants have already evolved to thrive in their respective environments. 

Growing seasons

When choosing annual plants, like many of the vegetables that grow in summer gardens, you’ll want to pay attention to your area’s growing season. That is the length between the typical dates of the first and last frosts. Use these as a guideline for what you can grow, as each plant has a number of days from the time the seed is planted before it can be harvested (you can usually find this right on the seed packet). If your growing season isn’t long enough, you’ll never get to harvest before the first frost sets in. Don’t let all the charts keep you from taking chances or experimenting, though! So much of gardening is learned only through trial and error. 

Accessible spaces for children

Probably the most important factor to consider when choosing the right spot for your garden is ensuring that your garden space is accessible to your children. Involving them in selecting the growing space gets immediate buy-in from them and sparks enthusiasm for the project. 

Keep your garden accessible to children, and everyone will reap the benefits.

Getting kids involved in plant selection

Consulting kids about what to garden is as important as where to garden. Beyond hardiness zones and growing seasons, certain plants are better than others at keeping kids engaged. For example, creating a foraging garden that includes plants that are good for grazing, like snap peas and cherry tomatoes, as well as herbs like mint and superfoods like moringa, encourages children to sample what they’ve grown and gets them excited about the prospect of harvesting. Let your kids each pick a type of plant to try growing. They’ll be much more invested in the outcome (and likely to eat it), if they were involved in the process.

Afraid your thumb isn’t green enough, but want an easy win? This post will give you a great start with five veggies that are easy for kids to grow.

Consider creating theme gardens 

Theme gardens can be a lot of fun. Below are some examples of types of gardens your child might be interested in growing.

Pizza garden 

What kid doesn’t love pizza? Have them grow their very own toppings and watch their green thumbs and their palate take off. Pizza gardens might include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions, garlic, artichokes, spinach, basil, and oregano. 

Salsa garden

Salsa is my favorite food group so this one might be more for me than my kiddo. A salsa garden might include cilantro, garlic, hot pepper, onion, sweet bell pepper, tomatillo, and tomato. 

Soup garden

Soup gardens are great for when the seasons start to change. Luckily, most of the contents are ready to harvest just when you might be craving a hot pot of it on the stovetop. A basic soup garden may contain garlic (basically every garden contains garlic), green beans, kale, chard, sweet corn, potatoes, onions, winter or summer squash.

Salad garden

Want your kids to eat the green stuff? Have them grow it! Salad gardens may contain beets, carrots (root veggies are especially fun to harvest since it’s like digging for buried treasure!), cucumber, lettuce, nasturtium (pretty edible flowers make magical fairy salads), radish, spinach, sweet bell peppers, and tomatoes.  

Gardening with kids can take place in all kinds of spaces. Here a child tends to a small balcony garden.

Three Sisters garden

This is a great garden to grow and can be coupled with storytelling!  Corn, beans, and squash are known as the Three Sisters and are central to Native American agriculture and folklore.  The corn provides tall stalks for the beans to climb.  Beans, like other legumes, are nitrogen-fixers adding it to the soil. The squash plants grow as a ground cover, keeping the soil moist and controlling weeds. All three store well and can be used as food year-round. The book “In the Three Sisters Garden” by JoAnne Dennee contains some beautiful stories to pair with planting a Three Sisters garden.

In the Haudenosaunee tradition, all three types of seeds were planted together in a mound. Planting a Three Sisters garden is a great introduction to companion planting, which is when plants are grown near together for the benefit of one or more. Companion planting can be a natural way of pest control, can help plants grow bigger and stronger and increase pollination, and can even make certain fruits and vegetables taste better. Here’s a great resource to learn more.

Potion garden

This one is as useful as it is magical. Your little witchlings will appreciate a space where they can harvest ingredients for any magic they may be conjuring. And you’ll be able to create an apothecary for your family at the same time. Some great medicinal plants to include are calendula, chamomile, comfrey, horehound, lavender, lemon balm, peppermint, and sage. Lemon balm and lavender make a child-friendly and soothing tea to have before bed. Calendula is amazing at healing diaper rash and other minor skin irritations.  

A butterfly or pollinator garden

Vegetables shouldn’t have all the fun! Creating a garden with pollinator-friendly plants will increase the presence of beneficial insects in your yard and garden space. A pollinator garden is also great for any fruits and veggies that you do have planted, as it attracts pollinators to your yard where they can find your vegetables and pollinate those as well.

But, pollinator gardens are fun in their own right. Butterflies are beautiful and honey and bumble bees are fun to watch. Kids love observing insects. This is a great opportunity to witness an entire life cycle in the backyard! Hummingbirds may even stop by. Most of all, creating a pollinator garden helps creatures that we depend on by giving them a safe food source.  

This calendula patch is perfect for creating soothing ointments and yields ample ingredients for kids’ potion-making.

Soil preparation

Preparing the soil is a crucial step when gardening and sets the foundation for a successful and enjoyable experience. Well-prepped soil provides the necessary nutrients, aeration, and drainage that plants need to thrive, offering children the opportunity to witness the direct correlation between soil health and plant growth. Moreover, involving kids in the soil preparation process is a valuable educational experience, as they learn about the importance of soil composition, organic matter, and pH levels, all of which are fundamental concepts in the world of agriculture and environmental science.

Composting

Gardens need nutrients, and that’s where composting comes in! Kids are inherently interested in the transformation of things. Teaching kids about compost is a great way to capitalize on these interests. Start by setting aside a second compost bin next to yours that is just for them. They can add their own food scraps to it and observe how it changes over time. Your little scientists may even want to record their observations.  

Kids love playing in the dirt, and will likely be equally as fascinated in the process of how dirt comes to be. Try a composting experiment to bring the transformation front and center. Replicate a small compost pile inside a plastic bottle to create a compost soilarium (instructions can be found here).

Here’s a fantastic list of children’s books all about composting to read more. 

Build a worm farm

Want to take composting and your garden’s health a step further? Consider creating a worm farm! The only thing that kids may love more than dirt are the things they find in it, including wriggly worms. And the worm castings they create are amazing soil amendments. All you need is a plastic storage container with a lid and some basic things that can be found around the house. 

Drill 10 or so small holes in the sides and bottom of the container. The holes allow air in and excess moisture out. Worms like to be moist, but not soaking. Make sure to cover the holes with a screen so your worms don’t get out. Fill the container halfway with strips of newspaper (children can cut the paper into strips), which serve as a comfy bed (and a snack) for your worms. Moisten the newspaper with a spray bottle. Add red wriggler worms.

Add food scraps to the newspaper (fruit and veggie peels, coffee grounds, pasta, tea bags, and foliage trimmed from the garden make great additions, but don’t add dairy, oil, or meat). Place the bin on a tray or pan in a warm spot out of direct sunlight. Add food and check on it regularly. 

Eventually, worm castings will start to build up, though it can take a while. Once you have enough castings, use a spoon to scoop them out and add them to the soil around the plants in the garden. An indoor worm bin (using red wrigglers) can be started at any time of year and is a great winter activity to get soil amendments ready for use in spring and summer planting.  

Create a soil horizon

Learn about the native soil in the areas you wish to plant by doing this educational activity with your kids. Creating a soil horizon provides information on how often you will need to water your garden and what kind of plants will grow best there. It’s also super easy!

All you need is a glass quart-sized jar with a lid, a hand trowel, soil, water, and a soil-type chart for making observations and comparisons. 

Start by filling the jar 2/3 full with water. Take a soil sample using the trowel to remove the top inch of soil from a small area where your future garden will live, then dig out soil from underneath and fill half the jar with soil, topping it off with water. Seal the jar and have your kids take turns shaking it vigorously. Then place it somewhere it won’t be disturbed for at least 24 hours. 

Encourage your kids to peek at it every once in a while and to observe any changes while using their eyes and not their hands. After 24 hours, you should see different layers of soil at the bottom of the jar. The very bottom layer is sand, with silt on top, and clay on top of that. Compare your soil horizon to a soil chart to identify what kind of soil you have in your garden. Feel free to repeat this experiment in other areas of your yard, or wherever you wish to grow something. 

Having kids water plants is a great way to involve them in age-appropriate garden tasks.

Getting kids involved in garden tasks

Involve children in soil preparation by having them use their tools to loosen it, adding their own compost for nutrients, and creating holes where tiny seeds will go. Guide them in planting seeds at the right depth and spacing, but don’t be a perfectionist about it!

If you are transplanting seedlings, teach them to be gentle with the plants. Let them give the plants a drink and encourage them to monitor their growth on a regular basis.

The best way to avoid garden pests is to catch and remove them early, and little gardeners can use their eagle eyes to find them. Introduce ladybugs in the garden to naturally control pests like aphids. Planting flowers for pollinators and parasitic wasps can also control pest populations naturally.  

Connecting with nature

Remember that one of the overarching goals of getting children in the garden is to cultivate a connection with and stewardship of nature. Choose garden chores that align with specific children’s ages and guide them as they take on new skills. But leave lots of room for unstructured play in the garden.

All work and no play will result in your child quickly losing interest. Kids were created to play and this medium fosters the most effective learning. So incorporate plants that can handle some foot traffic in play areas. Use borders to protect delicate saplings and to remind your own little saplings where their feet belong. And let loose in the garden a bit. Gardening is supposed to be a stress reliever after all! 

Quiet your inner gardener and let your child guide you in taking chances. I let Remy plant any seeds or seedlings he wanted to in his plot. Some of the seedlings looked quite scraggly (which is why they didn’t make it into my raised beds), but low and behold, they all took off when he got them into the ground. So take some chances and quiet the critical gardener who “knows best.”

A lightweight child-sized garden rake is perfect when little hands need to push mulch and soil.

Adding whimsy and magic to your outdoor garden space 

Adding a touch of whimsy and magic to outdoor spaces can transform them into inviting realms for children to play and explore. Incorporating elements like colorful, oversized garden ornaments, fairy lights, and hidden nooks can stimulate their imagination and create a sense of wonder. Enchanting pathways, secret garden doors, and miniature fairy houses can turn a simple garden into an enchanting world where kids can embark on exciting adventures and imaginative quests. These elements not only encourage outdoor play but also foster creativity and a deep appreciation for the natural world, allowing children to connect with the magic of nature in their own backyard.

All things mud

 If your child loves to dig (*enthusiastically raises hand*), create a digging-only bed where they can dig and play in the mud without harming seedlings. Add some earth mover toys and a pile of rocks and sticks for additional textures and to create mud gnome homes (note:  larger rocks are better for staying out of little mouths).

A mud kitchen is a great place to mix potions and make mud pies. Check out the book “Mud Pies and Other Recipes” by Marjorie Winslow for inspiration. Encourage your little ones to build fairy houses with natural objects so the pixies will help care for the garden.  

Mud kitchens allow kids to make messes in all the right places!

Places to hide

Incorporating living structures like squash tunnels, sunflower houses, and bean teepees into your garden can transform it into a captivating and imaginative haven for children. These living structures not only add a sense of enchantment to the garden but also provide fun places to hide, play, or curl up with a book. Squash tunnels create cozy hideaways where kids can explore the lush foliage and vibrant blooms while staying shaded from the sun. Sunflower houses offer a natural, sun-dappled retreat where young readers can immerse themselves in books amidst towering, sunflower walls. Bean teepees, with their climbing vines and leafy canopies, provide secret alcoves for imaginative play and offer a sense of seclusion within the garden’s green embrace. These living structures not only inspire a love for gardening but also nurture a child’s sense of adventure and wonder in the great outdoors.

Creature features

Include bird houses, bat boxes, feeders, and bee baths for lots of creature viewing and additional connecting with nature. You may wish to create a sit spot where your child can engage in the mindful practice of sitting quietly and observing. Have them select the spot, but it should be in a location that is good for observing nature with varied and interesting things to watch. Your child can return to the same spot as frequently as desired and note how wildlife changes throughout the year. This is a great practice to couple with nature journaling.   

Squash tunnels are space-efficient and a fun place for kids to hide.

Garden safety tips for kids

Don’t forget about safety! Always supervise children when they are in the garden, especially younger ones. Keep a close eye on them to prevent accidents and ensure they are following safety guidelines.

Teach kids how to use garden tools properly. Better yet, invest in small, lightweight child-sized versions of trowels, rakes, and watering cans to make gardening more fun and to get your kids invested as well. Ensure that any chemicals or fertilizers are stored out of their reach. This is a great time to go over proper hand washing, too. 

And finally, teach children not to touch or ingest any plants without your guidance. Some plants can be toxic if ingested or cause skin irritation upon contact. Familiarize yourself with the plants in your garden and educate your children about any potential hazards.

Sunflowers are beloved by children and pollinators alike!

Garden arts and crafts 

Crafts are a great way for your artsy child to put their mark on their garden. Have your child plant seeds in the shape of a design in the garden and watch their artwork literally come to life!

Let your child paint the sign for their garden to instill a sense of pride and ownership. Kids can create plant markers by painting river stones. Garden games can also be created with the use of river stones and acrylic paint. For instance, paint rocks as ladybugs and bumble bees for a fun game of tic tac toe on a tree stump.

When it’s especially cold and wet outside, inside garden crafts abound. Create mosaics by using a piece of cardboard, some glue, and some randomly- (or carefully-) placed seeds of different shapes, colors, and sizes. Envelopes can be decorated and labeled to collect seeds from the garden for planting the following year.

During the winter months, your budding artist can create a plant collage using an old seed catalog, scissors, glue, and poster board, to use while planning and dreaming up spring’s garden.

Seed mosaics and garden-themed books bring the outdoor learning inside when the weather is inclement.

Live your garden

Weave gardening into your everyday life, much like brushing your teeth. Collect some flowers for a small vase on your child’s play table. Let them pick the lettuce that will go on the sandwiches you make for lunch. Grow a pumpkin that will be carved for Halloween or made into a pie at Thanksgiving. Create a pizza garden that is utilized on Friday movie nights. When the garden is dormant in the wintertime, spend that time cozy in front of the fire with a seed catalogue dreaming about what will go in your plots in the spring. Have a garden party. Find garden-themed books and read them all year long (this list has some amazing titles, as does this one). 

Focus on your child’s passion and let them do some leading. What is their favorite thing to eat? Grow that! And don’t forget the very little ones.  Just being alongside you in the garden is enough to feed their interest for the coming years as their abilities allow them to participate more and more. It’s never too early to start!

Above all else, get outside, nurture, and be nurtured. 

Little hands love new textures and gardens provide all that and more!

Do you garden with your kids?

About the author

Jackie grew up in central Pennsylvania but is currently enjoying island life in the Salish Sea with her two teens, a pre-schooler, and identical twin baby girls. She specializes in soul-centered outdoor elopements on wild pieces of Earth, as well as soulful, nostalgic, and cozy storytelling photography for families wishing to reconnect with the Earth and with each other.

Jackie is a former forest preschool teacher with a Ph.D. in developmental psychology who whole-heartedly believes that Reginald Horace Blythe was right when uttering the words “Mud is the most poetical thing in the world,” and loves to spend her time in the thick of nature, usually with bare feet. Her greenhouse is her happy place. She also believes that children are big philosophers in little bodies and that we would all be better off walking through life as they do, with our eyes, ears, and hearts open to it all. To that end, she wishes to share photography as a means to live more fully and intentionally in each moment and in nature. Mostly, she just wants her children to grow up with a sense of wonder, to wander, and to have a strong passion for protecting this planet.

You can find more from Jackie in the following locations:
Instagram: @raising_little_naturalists
Website: Wild Women Wandering
RWMC posts: Jackleen Leed

The post The Ultimate Guide to Gardening with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Growing herbs with kids

There’s something about spring that seems to give even the brownest of thumbs the urge to put a seed in the earth and watch it slowly flourish. I am one of those brown thumbs, both literally and figuratively, who has attempted repeatedly to plant herbs and vegetables only for them to reach their inevitable untimely death weeks later. But this year is different! We’re determined to start and grow an herb garden!

Kids are intrigued by planting seeds. But, because the process of getting to the finished plant can be a long one, kids’ interest wanes fairly quickly. The difficult part for me, and so many would-be gardeners, has always been that my seedlings could never really get far beyond the sprouting phase. So, this year I decided to try something new. Today, I am going to show you the easiest way, in my opinion, to start a garden with your kids that will immediately garner their excitement. I will also share what I have learned through this process which has allowed our garden to flourish and reap a harvest.

Start with plants

I wholeheartedly believe that our garden’s success is largely due to the fact that we did not start it with seeds this year. As I mentioned earlier, our previous attempts growing an herb garden from seeds never made it past the sprouting phase. Some of you may have had more luck than us with seeds, but if you want to guarantee that your plants will at least get the “plant” stage, skip the seeds. 

This year, instead of purchasing seeds, I visited our local Home Depot to purchase a variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruit plants that were already growing strong. I felt confident because the plants at the store were already eons ahead of any of the seeds that I’ve ever planted! They had roots and strong stems and leaves, oh my! 

My kids were also ecstatic because they were looking at live plants from the beginning and not simply seeds covered by dirt. You can get your kids involved even at this stage by having them choose the plants they want to grow. After all, it is their garden as well. We settled on tomatoes, bell pepper, squash, cucumber, strawberries, sweet onions, sage, mint, rosemary, chives, fennel, thyme, and basil. While transplants are notorious for being more expensive than a packet of seeds, there are a lot of benefits to using them. The benefits of planting transplants are:

• They mature sooner than if you had planted seeds, which means an earlier harvest.
• They save time and are ready to go into the soil immediately.
• The transplanted plants have stronger root systems which make them less vulnerable to weather conditions.

Choose your plants wisely

When choosing which plants to have in your garden, I would highly suggest researching plant compatibility. Basically, you need to make sure that your plants will be friends and not foes to each other. This was something that I almost learned the hard way when I planted 2 mint plants smack dab in the middle of my garden bed. If you’re a newbie gardener, you’re probably thinking, “what’s the big deal?” Well, mint is an aggressive plant that has the power to take over your garden completely. Yikes! Luckily, I was made aware of my mistake and quickly replanted the mint in a pot before its roots had a chance to take hold.

While you might not want mint in your garden bed, there are other plants that are highly compatible and beneficial when planted next to each other. For example, if you are planting tomatoes, you should also plant basil nearby. Basil repels insects that can harm tomato plants and can also improve yield.

Get the kids involved

My kids were happy to see the live plants, but even more so at the fact that it meant we were going to be elbow-deep in dirt! We inherited a semi-raised bed in our backyard from previous owners, but it was in serious need of some TLC. So, armed with shovels and garden forks, my kids, husband, mom, and I got to work making the soil perfect for our new transplants.

The great thing about gardening is that it is an incredible learning opportunity for kids that is also really fun. My kids have been fascinated with the garden every step of the way. They were surprisingly excellent help with prepping the soil and especially enjoyed helping to pull the weeds out of the garden bed.

Choosing the right containers

Keep in mind that your transplants will not necessarily have to be planted in the ground. If you’re tight on space or simply don’t want to plant in the ground, you could also use pots or large stand-alone raised garden beds. The majority of the plants in our garden are in the ground. However, some of our herbs are potted in containers, which we can move around to give them exactly what they need. A little bit of research on each plant to help you determine if it’s well-suited for containers or should be planted directly in the ground.

Prepping your garden and soil

When you’re ready to start planting, there are a few things that you’ll need to have on hand and few things to do to your soil to ensure your plants have the best growing environment. Here are some things that you will need to get started on the right foot:

• Shovel
• Garden fork (if you are planting in the ground, this will help to turn over the soil)
• Garden soil  (not just for potted plants; we added bags of soil to our garden bed for enrichment)
• Hose or watering cans
• Fertilizer (optional)

These items can be purchased at your local nursery or hardware store. I also found a great selection of smaller gardening tools for my kids at DollarTree. The first step was tilling the dirt in the garden to break up all the hard-packed soil. Next, we added 6 large bags of potting soil to the existing dirt, to add additional nutrients and balance the composition of the soil. You can also add compost to your soil.

Gardening is a team sport

Once your soil is prepped, it’s time to figure out where each plant will go in the garden. The plant info should tell you how much space the plant will need, so you know how far apart to space out each plant to give it plenty of room to flourish without overtaking the nearby plants. Finally, you are ready to plant your transplants.

If there’s one thing that I have learned through this entire experience, is that gardening is a team effort. In planting our transplants, I thoroughly enjoyed working together with my 3-year-old and 5-year-old as we dug holes in the earth deep enough for our plants and gently covered the roots with dirt. It was a joy to see their independence and focus as they took ownership of their work. Don’t be afraid to get your kids involved with each step in this process. The great thing about transplants, is that they are strong. Even if they don’t seem to be “perfectly” planted, the roots will take hold.

H2O and let it grow

After the transplants have been planted, the hard work is nearly over. Now you just have to maintain, feed, water, weed, and be patient. Be sure to research how much water your plants will need to ensure they not only stay alive but thrive. We have been watering our garden with tap water from the hose in the backyard, which has worked out fine. You could also gather and store rainwater for your garden, but that’s a whole other process and post.

I have learned that it is best to water your garden in the evening when temperatures are a bit cooler, rather than in the middle of the day. Watering our garden is an activity that can be handed off almost completely to your children (if they enjoy it). My kids love getting the hose and watering cans out and taking care of the garden each evening. We also take some time to discuss the changes that can be seen happening right before our eyes! It’s so much fun to see them notice the plants getting bigger each day and being observant of how their efforts are paying off. 

Herb garden maintenance  

Watering will likely not be all that you need to do to keep your garden healthy. Most edible plants will need to be pruned or trimmed. This is done to increase growth and yield, and it is necessary for the overall wellness of the plant. Depending on the transplants that you have, you will need to research how to prune your plant properly. You may also need/choose to fertilize your plants. Adding some plant food to your soil will help the plants get the nutrients they need to grow bigger and heartier. 

Harvesting your garden

Since we did not plant our herb garden from seed, we were able to reap a harvest much sooner than we would have otherwise. In just over three months, we’ve already harvested herbs, tomatoes, and a lone strawberry. Our squash should be ready any day now, and we cannot wait.

Each time we are able to harvest, no matter how small, it brightens our day. It is awesome for kids because they are able to see the finished product of their work and patience. They are able to see food that they would normally only get at the grocery store growing right in front of them. It gives them a feeling of pride and accomplishment.

Gardening with kids resources

Starting and growing an herb garden with your kids is an amazing opportunity for learning and connection. If you have been apprehensive about starting a garden (especially with children), I hope that you have learned a few things from this post and that I have encouraged you to go for it. If you’d like more info on gardening with kids, here are a few of our favorite gardening posts:

• How to make gardening fun for kids
• 5 easy vegetables to grow with kids
• Tips for fall gardening with kids
• Winter garden planning
• Kid-friendly snacks from the garden
• How to plant a butterfly garden

Are you planting an herb garden with your kids this year?

About the author

Lauren is a California native turned Texan, who loves to get out in nature and discover hidden gems all around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She is a wife and homeschooling mama to three kids who definitely keep her on her toes. She truly believes in the value of homeschooling and that there are learning opportunities available all around us. In addition to homeschooling, Lauren is also an entrepreneur; she’s the co-owner of Crunchy Boutique (a natural-living/eco-friendly boutique). 

You can find more from Lauren in the following places:
Instagram: @crunchymamadfw
Facebook: @crunchymamadfw
RWMC Posts: Lauren Cain

The post Starting an Outdoor Herb Garden with Your Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

{Post contains affiliate links}

Special thanks to our Instagram community

These fun activities are guaranteed to keep your kids (and you) entertained, learning and active while outside this spring! These activities have been tried, tested and kid-approved by our online Facebook community, followers, editors, writers and contributors! In addition, all of the photos in the post of kids outside having fun are from our absolutely amazing Instagram community! A very special thanks to all the parents that let us feature their beautiful images.

Spring activities for kids printable PDF checklist

While this post will give you all the details and variations for all 100+ outdoor winter activities for kids, if you want a printable checklist version, CLICK HERE to sign up for our newsletter and get a free printable of the list!

Feature image credit: @raisinguntamedminis

100+ spring outdoor activities for kids

As the weather warms up and the days are longer, getting outside with the kids should be a top priority. Our family always makes a springtime bucket list, which includes tons of fun ways to get outside and active together as a family. We put together this giant list of over 100 fun things to do outside with your kids this spring! We’ve got all the traditional activities and we’re throwing in dozens more than you may not expect! So we hope this list will help you plan fun outdoor adventures for your family this season. And if there’s anything we’ve forgotten, let us know in the comments below and we’ll get it added!

1. Puddle jumping

Jumping in a puddle is an absolute classic quintessential rite of passage for any child. So often kids are asked to refrain from getting wet and muddy. Give them the gift of freedom to explore and get as messy as they want for a day. Dress them in their rain boots and whatever else you don’t care getting wet (plenty of layers if it’s still cold) and encourage them to splash! They’ll be so excited about the opportunity and will remember this for a lifetime.

2. Host an outdoor tea party

Outdoor tea parties can be fun any season of the year. Spring is a perfect time though, with fresh green grass and flowers everywhere. Have your kids dress up in something fun and fancy! Pull out a little table and chairs into the backyard and whip up some tea and a light snack. Try traditional cucumber sandwiches or make it a sweet tea time with cookies or cake. Depending on the age and fanciness of your guest, break out the good china and really impress them! (or even just use glass coffee mugs, which are fun!) If your kids don’t like tea, substitute lemonade, sparkling water or fruit-infused water.

3. Make a flower bouquet

Spring is a wonderful time for finding and picking flowers. Bring a pair of scissors on your walk and snip a few flowers for a bouquet (as long as you have permission). Springtime flowers could include daffodils, tulips, orchids, primrose, snowdrops, and violets. Wildflowers make beautiful and colorful arrangements. But only take a few and make sure to leave plenty for the bees!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

4. Dig for worms

One of my favorite memories I have with all three of my kids was teaching them how to dig for worms when they were little. There’s something about discovering a worm right under your feet that blows kids’ little minds! And you don’t need much to dig for worms. Find an outdoor area where you can dig (a garden or near the edge of the woods is ideal). The best time to find worms near the surface is after a rain when the soil is moist. Give each kid a shovel or garden spade and encourage them to dig into the dirt.

If your kids are little, dig a hole for them. Once you have a large scoop of dirt, break it up gently with your fingers, carefully looking for worms. If you find a worm, gently let your child hold it in their palm and let the worm wiggle around. When you’re finished observing the worm, you can set it free in a garden, compost area or watch it return to the soil.

5. Put out hummingbird feeders

Hummingbirds are delightful and highly desirable backyard birds. No matter how many times you see one it is a thrill to watch these tiny birds flit around and drink from flowers and feeders. It’s a common misconception that just hanging a hummingbird feeder in your yard will attract flocks of hummingbirds. There’s actually a lot more that goes into getting hummingbirds to visit your feeder, but luckily it’s not too hard! The best, and easiest, way to attract hummingbirds is to plant their favorite nectar-producing flowers and plants. These plants are usually bright colors (hummingbirds especially love red flowers) and many have long, tubular blossoms.

Some flowers that attract hummingbirds are the trumpet vine, trumpet honeysuckle, bee balm, hollyhock, zinnia, and sage. Hang multiple feeders in a low activity area that is near the flowers you planted for them. Fill your feeders with homemade hummingbird nectar, which is basically just sugar water (no red dye). Hang a variety of feeders in various locations. Different hummingbirds may have a preferred feeder style, so choose a variety of types to cater to their preferences. Change the water out once a week and sit back and enjoy the hummingbird watching with your kids!

Feature image credit: @kristinvucinaphotography

6. Visit a tulip field

If you’re lucky enough to live close to somewhere with gorgeous tulip fields, then please make sure you visit this spring. Not only are these places absolutely spectacular photo opportunities, but they’re just magical places to experience! Make the most of out what spring has to offer and spend some time amongst the flowers!

7. Play disc golf

Playing Frisbee is a great alternative to traditional pitch and catch. The flat disc is usually much easier for kids to toss and catch. Throw one around at your local park and see who can throw it the farthest or with the most accuracy. Once you’ve gotten the hang on it, try your luck at disc golf! There are free courses all across the country and you don’t need much to get started. It’s easy enough to learn in a day (although much harder to master), but so much fun for the whole family!

Feature image credit: @ksenia_belanger

8. Go fishing

Fishing is a great activity that the whole family can enjoy and do nearly anywhere there’s water! If you’ve never fished before, do a little bit of research about what the fish in your area eat and when/where to go. Ask at a fishy friend or at a local bait shop. A lot of state parks will even provide fishing gear for the day for free! Trust me, it doesn’t get much better than seeing your child’s entire face light up when she/he lands a fish! Here’s a great post on how to raise kids that love to fish.

9. Mud faces on trees

Making forest faces is a fun and simple outdoor springtime activity that can be done anywhere there are trees. All you need is some thick mud (or clay) and a variety of natural items for decorations (leaves, moss, small sticks, stones, acorns, rocks, etc.) and an accessible tree. Press a big hunk of mud/clay onto the tree trunk, smoothing the edges down onto the bark. Add a selection of leaves and moss for the hair or crown of the face. Add acorns or rocks for eyes and nose. Maybe a stick for a mouth. Get as creative as you want! Hopefully, the faces will stay for a while for other people to enjoy, but there is the chance they may dry out and fall off, or wash off in the rain.

Feature image credit: @sunniemf

10. Chase a rainbow

Is there really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? You’ll never know unless you find it! For a fun spring outdoor activity with kids, try chasing a rainbow! Next time you see one, go for a walk (or get in a wagon or even in the car) and try to chase down the end and find that pot of gold! Let the kids choose which way you go. Who knows where you’ll end up, but it’ll certainly be an adventure! And if you find the gold, make sure to share some with me!

11. Fly a kite

Spring is the perfect time to fly a kite! The months in spring tend to be windy, which is perfect kite-flying weather. Pick a location with a wide-open expanse of land and air, so you have plenty of room to chase your kite and not run into any obstacles. If you have more than one kid, give them each a kite and let them race them or challenge each other to kite acrobatics!

Feature image credit: @wildpoppies.and.wheatfields

12. Spring flower suncatchers

If you want a fun craft project to make with kids that will add some nature and color to your home, try making flower suncatchers. Start by collecting flowers that are bright and colorful. You can dry them flat under a book or try microwaving them in between fabric under a brick (I’ve heard this works well to preserve the color). Once flat and dry, seal the flowers between two pages of laminating paper or even between 2 pieces of glass (in a frame). Hang them in your window and let the sun shine through! Here’s a great tutorial for how to make flower suncatchers with kids.

13. Plant a tree

Spring is a great time to plant a tree. And planting a tree is easier than you might think! Once you’ve picked out your tree and your location, dig a hole that’s at least twice as wide as but no deeper than the rootball. You want to give the roots room to spread out — to help establish the tree. But you don’t want to dig deeper than the tree root ball. Sitting the tree too deep into the hole can cause water to pool around the trunk.

Place the tree in the hole, then begin backfilling with the soil that was removed from the hole. You want to evenly fill in the dirt all around the rootball. Pack in the soil around the tree root ball using your feet. Create a small ringed dam around the trunk of the tree to keep water closer to the root ball during the tree’s first days.  Water the tree as soon as possible after planting it. And by water, I mean really soak it! Water thoroughly every day for the first 2 weeks. Then, cut back to watering once every couple days for the next several weeks. Finally, water the tree once per week for the rest of the first growing season.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

14. Grill outside

In my opinion, almost all food tastes better when cooked outside over an open flame. Take advantage of the warmer weather and extra daylight by cooking dinner on the grill. Whether you’re grilling hotdogs, steaks, hamburgers or veggies, it’s guaranteed to taste amazing. And, if you’ve never tried to make your own pizza on the BBQ grill, what are you waiting for?! Buy some premade pizza dough (or make your own – it’s easy!) and your favorite pizza toppings. Have everything ready to go, then slide the crust on the grill for a few minutes. Flip the whole thing over and then add your pizza toppings while it cooks. Your grill can get much hotter than your oven, so it’ll make your crust extra crispy and delicious! And don’t forget the s’mores!

15. Press flowers

Flowers are popping up everywhere you look during the spring months! Take advantage of the abundance and preserve some for a cold rainy day. Collect flowers on a sunny day when they’re not wet or damp. Place the flowers between sheets of parchment or wax paper and lay a heavy book on top. Let the flowers dry for 7-10 days. Use the flowers for art decorations, cards, journals, luminaries or anything your heart desires! We’ve tried this flower press kit and made beautiful art!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

16. Dandelion tea

Did you know that dandelions were healthy and delicious? Dandelions are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that can boost your health. You can make dandelion tea from the leaves, flowers, or roots of the plants, with the latter being the most common method. Herbal tea made with the flowers tends to be more delicate and sweet.  Check out this post for all the details on how to make your own dandelion tea this spring.

17. Go green for St. Pat’s

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this spring by going green for the day. How you choose to “go green” is totally up to you! Maybe that means wearing all green clothing head-to-toe! Perhaps you choose to eat and drink only green foods all day or for an entire meal. Maybe you simply choose to be extra eco-friendly (“green”) for the day and pick up litter or make crafts from recycled materials. There are so many fun ways to celebrate being green!

18. Explore a pond

Exploring ponds with kids is not only fascinating and fun, but it’s also educational! There’s so much to see, feel, observe and learn about around a pond. Technology and screen time cannot replace the hands-on lessons children learn just playing outside in the amazing classroom of nature. Ponds are a fascinating place, an ecosystem in their own right. They sustain entire life cycles of plants and animals in their own self-contained space.

In the summer they hum with life, providing a vibrant atmosphere to explore. From the birds and insects filling the air with song to the fish flashing by in the water and the bullfrogs calling just out of reach, they are a child’s paradise of discoveries. So grab a bucket and a butterfly net, and head to the pond together. Here’s a great post on all kinds of fun things you can do while exploring a pond with kids.

Feature image credit: @soulshinephotographer

19. Start seedlings in eggshells

Gardening has to be one of my all-time favorite springtime outdoor activities. I love everything about starting our garden every spring. One of our favorite things to do is start our plants from seeds in eggshells. All you need to do is save those eggshells from your breakfast (try to break just the tip of the shell off and pour out the egg). Fill the shell with potting soil and one seed. Push the seed down into the soil, but not too deep. Water the seeds and keep the soil moist (but not soaked). Put them in the egg carton (as a holder) in a sunny window and watch them sprout! When ready to plant, simply drop the entire egg into the soil. It will provide great nutrients and calcium for your plants.

Photo credit: @blackadventurecrew

20. Outdoor workout

Spring is a great time to workout outside with the kids. Bring them along on a run around the neighborhood. Do yoga together outside in the back yard. Take them to the local park and hit all the exercise circuits on the trail. Or plan your own outdoor circuit workout that you can do together and get them involved. Kids that see their parents being active are more likely to be active as well. Be an example and get out and sweat! Here’s a great post all about how to successfully exercise outdoors with kids. 

21. Make a fairy garden

If you have little ones that into all things fairies and magic, you definitely need to add a fairy garden to your spring bucket list. Fairy gardens are easy to make and can be done in any way your heart desires. They usually contain a small house or door for your local fairy to use. Decorate as fancy as you want with lights, glitter, beads, rocks, decorations, etc. There are even companies that make adorable fairy garden kits to make it easy for you! Set up your fairy garden in a place your kids can access and let them get creative!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

22. Egg hunt

You don’t have to celebrate Easter to do an egg hunt (change it to a painted rock hunt). We love taking the traditional indoor egg hunt outside and scaling it up! Our entire neighborhood participates in a giant front-yard egg hunt for the kids on our street every year. Each house hides 50 eggs and the kids run wild through everyone’s yard finding as many eggs as they can. Once they find the eggs, they spend the rest of the day (week) rehiding them for each other and doing it all over again! It’s the gift that just keeps giving. 

23. Seed paper

Making seed paper is a great activity for kids any time of year. Spring is great though, because you can plant the paper right away (because kids love instant satisfaction). All you need is a bunch of recyclable paper (coloring book pages or newspaper), a blender, water, seeds and a screen. Shred the paper and soak it in water. Whip it up in the blender until it’s pulp. Mix in the seeds and then strain over a mesh screen. Once dry, you can cut into any shape you wan, write messages on them and give to friends and neighbors to plant! We’ve got a great post on how to make your own DIY seed paper with kids.

Feature image credit: @soulshinephotographer

24. Hatch baby chicks

Watching a chick hatch from an egg is one of the most amazing experiences. This activity requires a lot of prep work and planning, so it might not be suitable or possible for everyone. However, if you have chickens or know someone that will take the chicks after hatching, this experience is so worth it! A lot of classrooms hatch chicks as a lesson for the kids. Here’s a great post on everything you need to know and set up for your chick hatching experience.

25. Dandelion crown

Dandelion crowns are easier to make than you might expect! Not only are dandelions prevalent in the spring, but they’re completely free and fun! Start by collecting as many dandelions as you can. Make sure to keep the stems as long as possible. Wrap the second dandelion around the stem of the first and add the stem to the first stem. Add another and continue until you have enough flowers to wrap around your head like a crown. Use this dandelion crown pictorial for reference. Wear and enjoy!

26. Make a rain gauge

April showers are much more fun when you’re active in the rain. Get your kids excited about rain by making a rain gauge to monitor how much rain you’re getting. All you need is a mason jar (or other glass container) that you can write/paint on. Have your kids use a ruler and make marks on the glass for each inch of water. Place the rain gauge outside on a level surface away from overhead trees or awnings. After each rain, go out and check the gauge to see how much rain you got! Keep track of your findings in a nature journal or rain tracker chart. If you want more detailed instructions, plus a printable rain tracker, check out the DIY rain gauge in our shop. 

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

27. Blow bubbles

While this activity may sound super simplistic, that’s the beauty of bubbles! No set up or planning involved. All you need is a wand and some bubble juice (water + soap) to entertain and excite kids. My little ones can blow, chase, catch and pop bubbles for hours! They never seem to get tired of bubbles. A good bubble machine is worth its weight in gold and delight kids of all ages (even adults have a hard time not trying to catch them!).

28. Grass whistling

Did you know you can turn a single blade of grass into a whistle? Start by picking a thick and wide piece of grass. Some varieties of lawn grass are better than others for this purpose. You might want to pick several blades of grass and experiment with different ones, since each one will whistle at a different pitch. If you’re uneasy with dirt, feel free to rinse the grass thoroughly to remove any dirt or possible pet urine. You can use dish soap if it makes you feel better. Pat or blog dry with a paper towel. Hold the blade of grass flat and stretched between your fingers. Gently press to your lips and blow lightly on the blade. If it doesn’t whistle right away, keep trying! You’ll quickly figure out the best way to do this and get the hang of it!

Photo credit: @rui4050

29. Make a flower lei

A lei can be any objects strung together with the intent to be worn. Leis can be made from just about anything…shells, paper, money, ribbon, candy, fabric. Most commonly they are made from fresh plants, such as flowers and leaves. All you need to make a lei: fresh flowers, large needle, waxed dental floss, and scissors. Gather your flowers, then cut the flowers off near the top of the stem. Cut a long piece of dental floss and thread it through your needle and tie off the floss so that it doesn’t slip out of the eye of the needle. Carefully thread the needle through the flower. Go from the stem through the middle of the flower and then gently move it down the floss.

Make sure to leave a few inches at the bottom of the floss. Continue stringing flowers until it’s the desired length and then tie off!

Feature image credit: @carrinlewis_photography

30. Plant a garden

While gardening with kids might sound like a lot of work and a bit of a time commitment, it doesn’t have to be! If you’re new to gardening, start small with just a couple of plants. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow with kids. You also don’t need a huge amount of space. While a large plot is ideal, lots of plants can be grown in containers on your back porch or windowsill. We have a great post on all the benefits of gardening and everything you need to know to get started gardening with kids.

31. Flower paintbrush

Art projects are even more fun when you do them outside with natural materials. My kids love painting with flowers. We start by collecting various plants and flowers while hiking in our neighborhood or local park. We take them home and turn the flowers into paintbrushes by dipping them in paint and using them to color paper. The different shapes and textures of the flowers each create unique patterns. The kids love experimenting with various flowers and finding their favorites. We then let the flowers dry and make an arrangement of painted flowers to leave on our tabletop. They make a beautiful and colorful bouquet!

32. Hike & seek

Kids of all ages love to play hide and seek. There’s something so fun about coming up with clever hiding spots and the excited anticipation of waiting to be discovered that kids love! While normally played inside, we have a blast playing hide and seek outside, as well. Depending on your location, you’ll want to set boundaries ahead of time and explain to the kids anywhere that’s off-limits or out of bounds. Pay attention to where they’re hiding, but allow them the freedom to explore and get creative.

Feature image credit: @nicolejkolbe

33. Start a compost bin

Spring is a great time to set up and start a compost bin. Composting is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to eliminate food waste in landfills and help the environment. Plus, you end up with great fertilized soil for your gardens. You don’t need any fancy or expensive equipment either. A plain giant closed plastic container with a lid will work just fine (something like this). Drill some holes in the top and sides so your compost can breathe. To get your compost off to a good start, lay some ripped up cardboard or newspaper (black and white) in the bottom of the bin. Top that with some straw or leaves, then top that with some garden soil.

Now start adding your food scraps into your compost. The smaller the pieces you add, the faster you will have beautiful soil from it. Each time you add something to your compost pile, give a little stir. Things are decomposing when they’re giving off a lot of heat. If there isn’t any heat in there, your composting magic is not occurring. Make sure to balance your greens and brown (the ideal ratio is 25 parts browns to 1 part greens). For a big list of things you can compost, see this post.

34. Celebrate May Day

May Day (May 1) is an ancient spring festival in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s an astronomical holiday. It’s one of the year’s four cross-quarter days – a day that falls midway between an equinox and solstice. May 1st is between the March equinox and June solstice. There are so many fun ways to celebrate May Day with kids. A few ideas include: planting flowers or a tree, make a maypole with colorful ribbons to dance around, make personal flower baskets filled with petals/flowers to gift, make flower crowns or leis, have a bonfire, have an outdoor picnic, read poetry about spring or go on a nature hike.

Feature image credit: @lizbinder

35. Observe a pollinator

Teach your kids about the importance of pollinators this spring. Give them the task of watching and observing the flowers and plants in your backyard for bees and butterflies a few separate times. Then, ask the following guiding questions: (1) What types of insects or other animals are visiting which flowers? (2) Are some flowers visited more often or only by certain creatures? (3) Is there more activity at certain times of the day? (4) What kinds of paths do the insects take as they move among flowers? (5) Which types hover and which perch? (6) How do the flowers they visit seem designed to support these habits? (7) Does a mixed planting draw more different kinds of pollinators?

Once you’ve compiled your answers, research the plants and flowers that pollinators like best and set up your own pollinator garden or feeding station in your yard.

36. Cut the grass

If you have a traditional lawn that you cut with a lawnmower, chances are that there are quite a few places along the edges (or close to fences or rocks) that your lawnmower doesn’t get. Instead of taking a weed wacker to those spots, give your child a pair of scissors and let her practice her fine motor skills of cutting! Kids love helping out the adults and they love being in charge of things that are usually off-limits. On grass mowing days, let your child have a pair of scissors and help trim those hard to mow spots! She’ll not only put her hands to work and develop fine motor skills but feel like she’s helping and contributing to the family.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

37. Spring nature hike

Hiking in the spring is so much fun! Not only do you avoid the heat, humidly, crowds and pesky bugs of summer, but you get to experience life reemerging in the woods in the spring. In the spring, the green is just beginning to reappear and the wildlife is incredibly active, leading to all kinds of close encounters with deer, squirrels, rabbits and birds. The leafs on the trees aren’t thick, so you can see long distances and easily spot flowers and animals. Just be sure to wear boots in case the trail is muddy! If you need advice, we’ve got a great post on how to get started hiking with kids.

Photo credit: @juelz_jourdan

38. Decorate a flower pot

Decorating a flower pot is a super fun and easy outdoor springtime activity for the kids. Start with a plain old terra cotta pot and let your kids decorate it however they want! They can cover it in stickers, paint it, draw on it with paint pens, markers or chalk. They could decoupage it or wrap it with ribbon. Anything goes! Once it’s fully decorated and ready, add soil and a plant for instant decoration. Let them keep it in their room or gift it to a friend, teacher or neighbor.

39. Tulip/daffodil study

When I was a kid I was always fascinated by things and wanted to take them apart. Plants and flowers especially. I remember picking flowers and carefully pulling them apart, picking off the petals, opening them up and trying to figure them out. My kids also love doing this. When daffodils and tulips pop up every spring, the kids get super excited. I always let them pick a few to take apart and check out. I give them a butter knife and a pair of scissors and let them explore! We talk about the parts of the plant and what each part does. They learn a lot and then leave the flowers alone the rest of the season.

Feature image credit: @kalliastivaktaki

40. Make mud pies

As parents, we see mud and only see a mess. But to children, mud is an abundant and attractive medium for creation, exploration and adventure. Mud is fun! Playing with mud engages all the senses, encourages creativity and creates long-lasting childhood memories. The art of making mud pies can be as elaborate as you’d like to make it and will entertain your kids for hours. Initially, just use whatever you have on hand (pie tins, bowls, pans, plates, etc.) and decorate with whatever they can find (flowers, leaves, sticks, grass, shells, etc.). You’ll be amazed at your children’s creativity and improve skills in decorating their creations.

41. Save a turtle

If you spend any time driving on country roads, you know that spring is a popular time of year to see turtles crossing the road. Turtles are on the move once the weather gets warm—but sometimes, a road or a highway stands between them and their destination. Speeding traffic and slow-moving turtles don’t mix, and many turtles are severely injured or killed on roads every year. Even if their shells are crushed, turtles can remain alive for days or even weeks in agonizing pain because they have such slow metabolisms.

If you see a turtle on or near a road, take action! If you happen to see a turtle in need, park in a safe place, put your hazard lights on, and make sure that traffic is clear before venturing out onto the road. Pick them up by grasping them firmly by both sides of the body, in front of their hind legs. Be careful not to drop them! If it’s a snapping turtle, gently push them from behind to safety with a blunt object. Always keep them moving in the same direction that they were headed. Do not try to make them change course, as they have a destination in mind and will simply try to cross the road again if placed back where they started from. Once they’re safe on the other side, leave them alone.

Feature image credit: @gretchennevin

42. Outdoor swing

Setting up a swing in the yard is a guaranteed way to keep the kids outside and entertained. Our neighbors have a net swing in their front yard and every kid on our block has spent countless hours out there playing. From tweens to toddlers, the kids are just fascinated by the swing! It’s such a simple thing, and yet so popular! This swing supports a few kids together and they have the best time pushing each other and giggling on that swing.

43. Start a nature collection

If you haven’t already, spring is a great time to start a nature collection. All you need is a sense of adventure and a place to store/display your collection. Anytime you venture out and find a cool discovery, add it to your nature collection! My kids have a great collection of all the fun things we’ve found over the past few years, which include feathers, rocks, shells, fossils, bird eggs, antlers, empty nests, bones, teeth, empty turtle shells, snakeskins, arrowheads, 4-leaf clovers, etc. The small rocks and shells get stored in a large glass vase. The rest of the stuff goes on a dedicated bookshelf in our living room so they can see and touch their findings.

Feature image credit: @raisingwildones

44. Have a spring picnic

An outdoor picnic is a great way to spend time outside no matter what the season. Spring is a great time for a picnic though, as it’s usually not too hot, there are fewer bugs and everyone’s extra ready to spend time outside. You can pack a picnic lunch at home and take it to your favorite outdoor location. Or swing through a drive-through or get carryout from your favorite restaurant. Heck, you could even have pizza delivered to you at the picnic location of your choice! No matter how you slice it, a picnic is a great outdoor springtime activity for kids.

Photo credit: @jhennyloouuu

45. Make wind chimes

I just adore the sound of wind chimes blowing in the spring breeze. And they’re surprisingly easy to make! You can make wind chimes out of sticks, shells, old silverware, stones, glass or anything else you can think of! My kids and I made some beautiful wind chimes from all the treasures we found on the beach last year (shells, driftwood, chunks of sand dollars, etc.). It’s a visible (and audible) way to remember our trip.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

46. Set up a slackline

Slacklining is a perfect way for kids of all ages to hone balancing skills while spending time outside, building core strength and confidence. Slacklining is one of my kids’ favorite backyard activities and I’m blown away by how much time they spend on it daily, balancing, bouncing and playing games. This is a great beginner slackline kit and we’ve got an awesome post on slacklining with kids.

47. Create a treasure hunt

A treasure hunt is a super fun and creative way to spend some quality time outside with the kids in the spring. Help your kids come up with their very own treasure hunt in your backyard, neighborhood or local park. They’ll need to choose their treasure, figure out how/where to hide it, come up with a map and any clues they want to give. This is a great way for them to work on orienteering and map skills (X marks the spot). They’ll have to think analytically about clues and observations. They’ll work on writing skills by coming up with clever and descriptive clues that rhyme.

Feature image credit: @skye_taten

48. Outdoor yoga

Yoga helps us be more present and mindful and practicing yoga with kids outdoors is an excellent way for them to connect to the natural world. Anyone can help children enjoy the benefits of yoga and mindfulness outdoors. Incorporating fun poses with storytelling and adventure, children practicing yoga outside use all their senses to establish a link with nature and enjoy feelings of peace and connectedness. See our full post on incorporating yoga into outdoor nature play for all the details.

49. Make nature confetti

Making nature confetti is super fun for kids to do any time of the year! All you need to do is gather a bunch of colorful leaves, flower petals, etc. and a few different shaped punchers. Gather your materials and head home and start punching away. This project engages gross motor skills (walking around our neighborhood), fine motor skills (paper punching), and eye-hand coordination. After a large amount of confetti is made, the most fun part of the craft is tossing it in the air!

50. Stick magic wand

Create a magic wand out of materials you have at home for a fun project you can take outdoors into nature. All you need is a stick and ribbon scraps cut into similar lengths. Choose all different colors, widths, and patterns and tie them onto the stick. If your kids are old enough, encourage them to do this themselves, while little ones may need your help. Beware: magical wands can turn you into anything! Some can even be used to grant wishes! You never know what powers your child’s wand will possess.

Feature image credit: @michelerenephotography

51. Dance in the rain

When it finally starts getting warm enough to go outside barefoot without freezing, I love letting the kids out to dance in the rain! Feeling the rain coming down and playing in the puddles without shoes is an amazing sensory experience for kids. They feel the rain with their entire body, they smell it and taste it! Give your kids the opportunity this spring to dance in the rain with wild abandon! It’ll be something they always remember and hopefully the beginning of a lifelong love and appreciation of the rain.

52. Spring nature journal

Spring is a great time to start (or continue) a nature journal. A nature journal is a special book where your kids can record all the interesting things they see, smell, hear, feel, eat and wonder about, through the year. You can color, draw or paint what you see in your journal. You could try collecting leaves or petals off the floor and taping them into your journal. Photos are a great option too. Take them and then use them as collage items in your journal. Try asking kids to record what the weather looks like or to stand still and see what they can smell, see and hear on your walks.  For more tips, our creative team member Jemma of Thimble & Twig has a great post on how to get started nature journaling with kids.

53. Pay it forward

Give your kids one of the greatest gifts ever – the gift of giving back! Make sure to pay it forward this spring by doing small outdoor acts of kindness anytime you can. Whether that’s putting a quarter in a row of meters, mowing a neighbor’s grass, giving a bouquet of flowers to a friend or walking the dog for an elderly neighbor. Work with your kids to come up with a list of things you could do together to pay if forward this spring.

Feature image credit: @svet_sky_ya

54. Admire a blossoming tree

One of my favorite things about spring are all the amazing blooms from flowers, bushes and trees. Cherry Blossoms and Dogwood trees are high up there on my list of favorites. Cherry blossom season lasts for about a month every spring and is always weather dependent early March to early April is a good rule of thumb. Most trees bloom for one to two weeks. The further South, the earlier the trees bloom. This branch of trees is largely for looks as opposed to fruit production. Ornamental cherry trees do produce fruit closely related to edible cherries, these trees are usually grown for their beauty.

The dogwood is a majestic ornamental tree, which has over 50 species within the genus. These species vary wildly, from shrubs to deciduous temperate trees and evergreens. One of the most common species, and the one about which you’ve most likely heard, is the Flowering Dogwood (the state tree of Virginia), which has conspicuous white to light yellow flowers that offer magnificent blooms in spring. If you have the chance, I highly recommend you and the kids take a minute to admire a blossoming tree in your area!

Photo credit: @arevook

55. Listen for woodpeckers

The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. When you’re outside with the kids this spring, take some time to look and listen for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens. Pileated Woodpeckers sometimes visit backyard bird feeders, especially for suet. If you have dead or dying trees or snags on your property, consider leaving them alone as they may attract Pileated Woodpeckers (as well as other woodpeckers, nuthatches, etc.) to forage, roost or even nest in them.

56. Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. This year, celebrate Earth Day by reducing, reusing and recycling!! We love to recycle everyday items and reuse it in nature crafts. Paper towel tubes are fantastic for sowing seeds in, making into telescopes or a ton of other stuff. For crafting, we also use cereal boxes and we can even reuse milk jugs as watering cans. Use your imagination and try to reuse 10 items this week. It’s easy if you try.

Feature image credit: @soulshinephotographer

57. Have a barefoot day

Give your kids’ feet a break and have a barefoot day! Did you know that children who go barefoot frequently have a heightened sense of their surroundings and avoid sharp objects? Plus, feet toughen up the more they go barefoot, leading to more natural protection. Walking outside barefoot is recommended by many pediatricians and podiatrists for children and adults. Letting kids go shoeless as often as possible does wonders for foot and brain development. It helps develop and maintain an appropriate range of motion in the joints and strength and stability within the muscles and ligaments of the feet.

Forcing children’s feet to conform to the shape of a shoe will most likely result in permanent detrimental changes to the shape or construction of the foot. Walking barefoot also helps brain development as children learn to balance and develop other sensory systems in the body. Shoes reduce the amount and quality of sensory information kids get about their environment and body. Feeling the earth beneath their feet allows them to develop their somatosensory, proprioceptive, and vestibular sensory systems in ways that are not possible with shoes on!

58. Mushroom hunt

In my neck of the woods (the Midwest), spring is famous for bringing with it a delicacy that you can’t grow or get any other time of year – morel mushrooms! This elusive mushroom is prized for it’s tastiness, and can only be wildcrafted as no one has figured out how to grow them (yet). They come up in spring to early summer, depending on where you live, and are fairly widespread. Foraging for morel mushrooms can be difficult, as they usually blend in very well with their surroundings. But, once you get an eye for them, they seem to pop up everywhere! They like south-facing hillsides, and will typically be in the sunniest patches, where the ground is warmest.

They generally grow around the drip line of trees. And while they seem to prefer certain varieties of trees (ash, aspen, sycamore, oak, elm), there are no hard and fast rules on this. Also, they like disturbed forests and burned areas. Morels are one of the easiest mushrooms to identify. They have a pitted and deeply ridged cap that resembles a honeycomb. The cap is also completely attached to the stalk, and they are completely hollow when cut in half. There are a few varieties of “false morels”, so if you’re unsure, cut one in half to make sure that the cap is completely attached to the stalk and that it is hollow.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

59. 4-leaf clover hunt

Need a little extra luck in your life? Try finding a four-leaf clover! All you need is a patch of clover and a will to find one – no prepping or planning involved. Keep your eyes peeled for that extra lucky leaf. And if you find one, chances are another will be close by! Check out our post for tips and advice on how to find a four-leaf clover with kids.

60 .Give a plant

Plants are one of my all-time favorite gifts to give and receive! There’s just something so hopeful and loving about giving a plant. My kids and I usually start seeds in the spring and I set a few aside to give to friends and neighbors. Our massive sunflowers have become quite popular on our street, as we’ve given plants to so many neighbors. We also plant some of our own homemade seed bombs in small pots and gift them to friends and teachers. Small succulents also make great gifts for coworkers and kids, as they don’t usually need a lot of attention to thrive. Help your kids pick a few plants to gift to loved ones this spring and let them get their hands dirty helping plant them.

61. Spring cleaning day

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be the responsibility of the adults. Get the kids involved too with outdoor chores and projects for them. There are many outdoor chores that kids can help with, from toddlers to teens! A few of the chores my kids help with are: raking leaves out of the gardens, trimming hedges and branches, washing the outside of the house windows, spraying out the garage/driveway, pick up sticks, spray off the deck/patio, remove cobwebs, add mulch to flower beds and cleaning off toys and play equipment.

Feature image credit: @iammissymoore

62. Go for a bike ride

Biking with kids is a fun springtime adventure and a great way to get outdoors, explore new areas/trails, create family memories and get in shape. Riding a bike not only improves physical fitness, but it also benefits your child’s learning development and mental health. Plus, biking reduces carbon emissions, eases traffic congestion and eliminates parking problems. If you’re just getting started, we’ve got a great post with lots of tips for biking with kids.

63. Paint with mud

One of our favorite springtime outdoor activities is painting with mud. Mud is a wonderful medium for creating masterpieces, practicing writing letters or painting nature scenes. Sometimes we paint on poster board and sometimes we paint the sidewalk or even the fence in our backyard. Whether you use plain ole brown mud or get creative with color, your kids will love this new form of creating art! All you need is mud, powdered tempera (or liquid watercolor paint or food coloring), Dawn dish soap (optional), water, and some paintbrushes.

64. Set up a birdhouse

Many birds are facing habitat loss, which has driven some species away from former nesting areas. Help the birds in your neighborhood out by providing the right house to bring birds back home. We highly recommend doing a little research on the birds in your area and what kind of houses they prefer. Not all houses are equal and the ones that appeal to people might not be best for the birds. Find a house that is the right size, with the right size opening and place it in a safe place. If the hole is too big, it invites predators; rats and possums take the eggs. If the box is placed too low, snakes will get inside. Too big a hole also invites other (species of) birds to raid the nest. It’s a bird-eat-bird world out there!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

65. Grow your socks

Want a super fun science project that teaches your kids and lets them get dirty? I’m sure you’ve all seen the project where you can grow a bean sprout in a plastic bag with a piece of cotton. Well, this is a fun new twist on that concept. Instead of growing seeds in a bag, grow your socks! All you need to do is let your kids run around outside with old wet socks on, getting as dirty and muddy as possible. This way they’ll collect the seeds directly from nature. When the socks are nice and filthy, take them off and place each one in a plastic bag. Tape the plastic bag to a window that gets a good amount of daily sunlight.

If the socks feel dry, add a small amount of water. Now all you have to do is wait for them to grow! See our post on how to grow your socks for all the details.

66. Play golf

Golf is such a fun outdoor activity for the entire family. My kids are really into golf these days and they can’t seem to get enough. We love going out and playing nine holes as a family at a public course. They love hitting the ball, but they also love driving around the golf cart. We also enjoy spending an hour hitting balls at the driving range. This is a great way to practice and get a lot of hits in! (less patience required) If you haven’t tried Top Golf, it’s also been a huge hit! There’s an extra element of challenge and competition, plus great food and drinks while you hit.

67. DIY butterfly wings

Looking for a really amazing and impressive (and yet not that hard) project to make with your kids? How about DIY butterfly wings that they can wear! This project is simpler than you might expect and guaranteed to make any little kid’s imagination go wild! They can be made from materials you probably already have in your craft closet and yard. For details on how to make these gorgeous wings, check out our friend Johanna’s post on woodlark.

Feature image credit: @soulshinephotographer

68. Go on a clean-up hike

We all know that we have to do our part to take care of the planet and it’s up to us to be good stewards of the environment and set an example for our kids. Next time you’re out exploring your favorite local trail (or even going for a walk around your neighborhood), take along a garbage bag and make an effort to clean up any trash or rubbish you find along the way. Chances are, you’ll be (unpleasantly) surprised at just how much trash has been discarded. Set a good example for your kids by cleaning up and explaining to them the importance of taking care of our surroundings and the environment.

Photo credit: @kidsdelmundo

69. Photo scavenger hunt

We love a good scavenger hunt! It’s one thing that we can do nearly anywhere and keeps the kids busy for a good long time. One of our favorite ways to get creative with this is to add a camera. I have an old point-and-shoot camera that I let the kids borrow and give them a list of things to find. You can choose to give them specific items (a flower, a pine cone, a fire hydrant) or be vague and let them get creative (something that smells, something prickly, something yellow). Instead of crossing the item off the list, they have to take a photo with/of it. They love being independent and responsible for the camera. I love seeing the funny photos and interesting items they choose to photograph.

Photo credit: @sage.and.summit

70. Visit a farmer’s market

In the spring, local farmer’s markets are teeming with really fun and interesting finds. Your local springtime farmer’s market harvest could include cherries, fiddlehead ferns, artichokes, dandelion greens, garlic, lemons, asparagus, beets, potatoes, mushrooms, and peas. Take your kids and introduce them to the vendors. Let them ask questions about where and how the food was grown. Let them taste free samples of fruits, veggies and baked goods. And then pick out a few items to take home for dinner! They’ll be more likely to eat the food if they had a say in choosing it. Here’s a great post all about exploring farmer’s markets with kids. 

Feature image credit: @msmportraits_

71. Visit a botanical garden

Botanical gardens are some of the most magical, relaxing places and a great way to observe nature waking up in the spring. Strolling through the gardens, lounging in the great lawn, overlooking the lake and smelling the flowers might be the best way to decompress from the madness around you. Botanical gardens are also incredibly educational for children. There’s so much to learn about how plants thrive, why some plants change colors, what plants need, etc. Use an afternoon in the botanical garden to teach your kids about comparison (how plants are the same/different), observation (what does this plant look like) and appreciation (what can these plants do for us).

Photo credit: @blackadventurecrew

72. Run a 5K

If you want to add some extra outdoor exercise to your springtime activities, sign your family up for a 5K or family fun run! There are usually a variety of fun races in the spring (before it gets too hot) at various distances and with lots of fun themes for all ages. If you have little ones, let them try a 1-mile fun run. Sign the whole family up for a local 5K. Want a bigger challenge, what about a 10K or a half-marathon? With older kids, you could even do a relay. Most races usually have fun swag (t-shirts, etc.), prizes and a really fun ambiance. Not runners, sign your family up to volunteer at a water station to hand out water to runners. Who knows, maybe you’ll get inspired to join them next year!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

73. Strawberry picking

One of my favorite outdoor activities to do in the spring with the kids is to pick strawberries. Every May (here in the Midwest), we visit a local orchard and gorge ourselves on those sweet juicy berries! It’s such a fun tradition and the kids are basically expert pickers by now. Make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen, as there’s little to no shade when picking strawberries. And boots, as it’s also usually pretty muddy! But freshly-picked strawberries right from the vine are worth it every time!

74. Play hopscotch

One of the most popular and easy outdoor games is hopscotch. Learning how to play Hopscotch is a great way for you to enjoy time outside this spring without having to go anywhere but your backyard. First, draw the grid you’ll be playing on. Usually, there are 8 blocks numbered 1 – 8. You can draw these sections in any way you choose.

For example, start with two next to each other, then one in the middle, then two again, etc. The player who goes first stands behind the starting block and throws his or her marker (a rock or coin) onto block 1. This player hops over square one to square two, pausing to pick up the marker and hop back to square one. Complete the grid by hopping down the rest of the blocks. The next turn, throw the marker in block 2 and continue the pattern. Remember to take turns! A player is out when he or she can’t throw the pebble in a square, when they lose balance, or when they touch the lines.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

75. DIY seed bombs

One of our favorite springtime projects is to make DIY wildflower seed bombs. Not only are these DIY seed bombs easy enough for kids to make in under an hour, but they’re good for the birds, bees and butterflies in your area. They only require a few ingredients (seeds, water, dirt, clay) and have the added benefit of letting kids get their hands really messy! Make them and let your kids “bomb” the neighborhood or give them as homemade eco-friendly gifts to teachers, neighbors, family and friends. Everyone will love watching the bombs grow into a beautiful patch of colorful wildflowers. See our post for the recipe and all the details on how to make DIY wildflower seed bombs.

76. Visit a farm

This is a great time of year to visit a local farm, petting zoo, nature center or animal safari to learn more about the animals. We have quite a few farms in our area that give tours of the barnyard animals and let the kids interact with them (you can learn how to milk a cow, ride a horse and feed the chickens). We also have a wolf sanctuary and a drive-through elk park. And we have a bird rehabilitation center and a number of petting zoos. Chances are good that you have something like one (or more) of these in your area. Look at the local attractions in your area and ask your kids which animals they’d be most interested in learning more about.

77. Play catch

With opening day of baseball season right around the corner, spring is a great time to get outside and practice your pitch and catch skills. All you need is a ball and a glove! Throw the ball back and forth or around in a circle (if you have more than 2 players). Practice catching pop flies and bouncing grounders. This a great way to develop a skill and get some outdoor exercise and fresh air.

Feature image credit: @il_etait_un_clic_pro

78. Read outside

I’m of the opinion that almost everything is better when you’re outside and immersed in nature. That’s definitely true for one of my favorite past times…reading! If your kids are old enough to read on their own, create a comfy and shady spot for them to read outside. If your kids are little, try having storytime outside together and reading to them as they lounge on a blanket or in a hammock.

79. Raise butterflies

Watching a tiny caterpillar grow and then turn into a butterfly is truly one of the most spectacular miracles of nature. Give your children a chance to experience this incredible metamorphosis themselves by finding (or purchasing) caterpillars and watching them change. Make a habitat for your caterpillars where you can feed and observe them. Make sure it includes plants they like to eat and a place for them to cocoon. Watch the metamorphosis right in front of your eyes! Finally, releasing the butterflies into the wild is a memorable moment they won’t soon forget. See our post on raising butterflies from caterpillars for more info.

Feature image credit: @river.rascal

80. Climb a tree

Climbing trees is a great way for kids to experience “risky” play, with great rewards. One of my favorite writers, Linda McGurk wrote: “Tree climbing has real benefits for kids – physically, mentally, cognitively and socially. Just think about it. As your child scales the tree he’s building muscle strength, practicing gross motor skills such as balance and improving spatial awareness and proprioception. When he decides which branches are safe to stand on and how high to go, he’s learning how to judge risk and developing critical thinking skills.

As he plans his path up through the limbs, he’s gaining decision-making and problem-solving skills, and if things don’t go according to plan, he gains emotional strength and resilience by trying again. When he successfully negotiates the branches, he feels a sense of accomplishment, which in turn boosts his self-confidence.”

81. Attend a baseball game

Particularly if you’re in the US, nothing says summer quite like baseball season! If you can, attend a baseball game with your kids. Whether it’s a professional MLB game, a minor league team, a high school game or just a little league team at your local town’s baseball fields, watching a baseball game is a great way to spend a summer evening. Root root for the home team and enjoy those peanuts and cracker jacks!

82. Draw flowers/buds

Break out the watercolor paints or colored pencils and sketch those spring flowers. Spring is a great time to introduce art and drawing to your children. Get them a sketch pad and let them draw the spring flowers they find in your yard or local park. There are a ton of great books, journals, tutorials and online resources for teaching kids how to draw if your little ones want to get better. If you’re not much of an artist either, maybe you can learn along with the kids!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

83. Release ladybugs

If you’re growing a garden this year, consider adding a few hundred/thousand friends to the party! Each spring we release 1,500 ladybugs into our garden and it’s such a fun experience. My kids love it and I’m hoping this is something you can experience with your kids, too. Ladybugs are wonderful for gardens because they’re capable of consuming up to 50 to 60 aphids per day! They will also eat a variety of other insects and larvae including scales, mealy bugs, moth eggs, leafhoppers, mites, asparagus beetle larvae, whitefly and various types of soft-bodied insects.

Releasing ladybugs into your garden is a really fun way to get kids interested in gardening and teach them about this amazing insect. We’ve got a great post filled with all kinds of fun ladybug facts for kids below, plus tips on how to gently and effectively release ladybugs into your garden and how to get started gardening with ladybugs.

84. Make fruit smoothies

There’s no better way to get your kids to eat healthy foods than by letting them be a part of the process. Kids can be involved in every step, growing their own food to harvesting/picking their own fruits and veggies and helping out in the kitchen. Even if you’re not growing your own food, let kids help pick out fruits and veggies from the grocery store or farmer’s market. Make fruit and veggie smoothies together with your selections. Kids love being involved and are much more likely to eat healthy if they’re part of the decision making process.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

85. Make a stepping stone

Decorate your garden, lawn or walkway with beautiful concrete stepping stones that your kids made and decorated. All you need is a mold, some concrete mix and any decorations you want to use. Try colored stones, shells, glass or beads. Let them add their own items such as army men, marbles, trinkets, coins, etc. You could even buy a stepping stone mosaic kit with all this stuff included, just to make it easier on you. Add water to the concrete mix, pour in the mold and let the kids decorate. It takes a few days for the stones to completely dry and solidify, but you’ll have a forever keepsake of this season.

86. Host a field day

As the weather gets warmer, it’s time to get outside and active with the family. Do you remember how much you looked forward to field days when you were a kid, with three-legged races and egg-on-a-spoon competitions? If you have a big backyard or live near a public park or schoolyard, host your own field day for your family. Field days aren’t just for kids either—invite over the grandparents and cousins and ask other families in the neighborhood to join in on the fun.

Plan the games ahead of time and get everything set up before everyone arrives. Make games out of basic household items and add a few of those ‘Minute to Win It’-style games with things you find around the house. Mix it up so there’s something for everyone with scavenger hunts, races, art projects, sports, etc. Add some fun music and serve snacks and beverages for a great day of games!

87. Create a putt-putt course

You don’t have to hit the links when a golf course could be right in your own backyard. Using ordinary household objects to construct the course – like cereal boxes, cardboard tubes, and books – you can create this fun and challenging 9-hole miniature golf game the whole family will enjoy. Here’s a great post with all kinds of awesome ideas for creating your very own DIY putt-putt course in your backyard this spring.

Feature image credit: @paraphrasephoto

88. Make naturally dyed eggs

If you’d like to dye eggs with your kids this spring, but don’t want to use processed food dyes, try making your own dye from all-natural ingredients! Here’s a great post on how to use natural household ingredients to dye your eggs all kinds of beautiful colors. We walk you through our easy process using household ingredients from your backyard, fridge and pantry like blueberries (blue), beets (pink), turmeric (yellow), onions (orange) and cabbage (green/blue).

89. Look for frogspawn

Late spring is the perfect time to look for frogspawn and raise tadpoles. Check out your local pond and see if you can find some frogspawn to collect and bring home. You can place it in a tank of pond water at home with a few large stones in it. Over the next few weeks, watch as the frog spawn hatch into tadpoles and slowly change over the space of a few weeks into tiny little froglets. Once they are fully grown, be sure to release them back to the pond where they were collected. Check out our post all about raising tadpoles with kids.

90. Make a windsock

These tissue paper windsocks are a great way to add some color to your patio and let your kids decorate their environment in a fun way! Plus they are also an affordable craft that all your kids can enjoy as tissue paper can be found in several colors at your local dollar store. All you really need to make a tissue paper windsock is tissue paper, construction paper, glue, scissors, and yarn. Here’s a super cute tutorial on how to make a tissue paper windsock with your kids.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

91. DIY bird feeder

Attract some local birds into your backyard by setting up a bird feeder. It’s easier than you think to make your own DIY bird feeders with your kids. We’ve got a great post on how to make easy bird feeders for kids with items and ingredients you already have at home and another post on ec0-friendly bird feeders to make with kids.

92. Fly a flag

June 14 is Flag Day in the US, which commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. Spend a little time with your kids this spring learning about flag day and the symbolism behind our flag. Celebrate by making some flag crafts and flying the stars and stripes.

93. Make a kaleidoscope

A kaleidoscope is a fun project to make with kids. You can either make it entirely on your own or start with a kit. We tried this Nature Kaleidoscope Kit which comes with everything you need to make the kaleidoscope, decorate it and experiment with it. The three mirrored pieces are sturdy and fit together easily. Just peel the plastic coating off (to prevent scratches) and use a piece of tape to keep them together in the triangle shape. Insert the eyepiece in one end of the tube, then the mirrors, and finally, add the plastic container with your nature objects at the other end.

The instructions were super easy to follow and my son assembled the whole thing by himself. This also got the kids thinking about which items they could find in nature or around the house to put in the kaleidoscope and had them guessing about whether the light would pass through them or not. Here’s our post all about how to make a nature kaleidoscope with kids.

Feature image credit: @kaseyfanucchi

94. Paint with rain

If you’re in need of a rainy day art project, this is for you! Get outside and make some April showers art by painting with the rain! All you need is some fairly thick paper, which can cope with getting wet, watercolor paints, paintbrushes, a few rocks to hold your paper in place and a rainy day. Start by painting an abstract design of your choice on your paper using your watercolor paints of a few different colors. You might like to place your paints very close together, or space them out – or try both and see what different effects you can create.

Be generous with your watercolor paints, and keep them liquid, adding plenty of water to blend the colors from your palette. While the paint is still wet, quickly take your paper outside. Use some rocks to hold the corners of your paper in place. Watch as the raindrops paint/change your picture, splattering your colors, making your paint spread and flow, perhaps blending one section of your art into another.

95. Seed sorting

When you’re discussing gardening with your kids this spring, add seed sorting project to your bucket list. All you need are a few different types of seeds and a few containers for holding them. Chose seeds that would likely be familiar to your kids (apple, pumpkin, corn, beans) and then throw in a few less recognizable ones for a challenge. Have your kids sort the seeds into containers using tweezers (to help develop those fine motor skills). While you’re at it, talk about the different kinds of seeds and how each plant grows. When you’re all finished, plant a few!

Feature image credit: @turtledove.a

96. Collect wild garlic

Wild garlic is a leafy green herb that emerges each spring from the forest floor, filling the entire area with a soft garlicky scent. The plant is composed of a tiny bulb that sprouts tender green leaves in early spring and then later on white flowers emerge. You can pick and eat both the leaves and flowers from plants you find growing in the wild but don’t dig up the plant or bulb up unless it’s growing on your own property. Collect the leaves and flowers of wild garlic to eat raw in salads or cook them down like spinach and make pesto. This is perfect for pasta dishes and it can be frozen in ice cube trays to use later in all sorts of meals. It has a subtle garlic flavor that is wonderful!

97. Hula hoop

Like jumping rope, hula hooping seems to be a lost art of childhood. Make sure your kids get the chance to experience the thrills and fun of a hula hoop. Watching kids learn how to hula hoop is absolutely adorable and worth the nominal price of a hoop. Play games, like who can keep it going the longest, who can make it go up and down their body or who can jump through it as it rolls down the sidewalk!

Feature image credit: @i_am_samhaines

98. Set up a hammock

Get your outdoor space ready for warm afternoons by setting up a hammock. Hammock naps are the perfect way to spend warm summer days. But until then, hammocks are also a great place to play, read a book, snuggle and spend time together. If it’s not warm yet, bring out a blanket and wrap up together in your hammock.

99. Insect hunt

There are so many interesting insects to find and learn about in the spring months. Take advantage of the warm weather by going on a bug hunt! See how many bugs you can find in your own backyard, local park or on a hike! Kids love finding crickets, caterpillars, ladybugs, grasshoppers, Junebugs, dragonflies, centipedes, butterflies and stinkbugs! If your kids are up for it, let them hold them and gently observe. Or take a photo of each or sketch them in your nature journal.

Feature image credit: @desireemacke

100. Sidewalk chalk games

There are so many fun ways to play with sidewalk chalk. We’ve already mentioned playing hopscotch, but there are plenty more! How about a game of four-square (do you remember that one)? What about hangman, tic-tac-toe or Dots. Make a bullseye and toss pebbles into the middle. If you’ve got a lot of kids in the neighborhood, make a friendship quilt by drawing a huge square and dividing it up into multiple smaller squares and letting each kid decorate their own patch. Draw the alphabet in big bubble letters and fill in each letter with words or pictures of things that start with that letter. Have your child lie down on the sidewalk and draw their chalk outline (like a crime scene) and then let them decorate their person.

Make an obstacle course or maze to walk or ride your bike on. There are so many fun ways to play with sidewalk chalk, which makes it a perfect outdoor springtime activity for kids. You can even make your own sidewalk chalk paint!

101. Sinks or floats

One of my kids’ favorite things to do is throw things in the water. They usually throw rocks, but they’re not opposed to tossing anything else in that they can find. When we’re out and exploring around water, we play the “sink or float?” game. Everyone finds a variety of objects to throw in the water and then we all guess whether they will sink or float. We’ve tried all kinds of things like sticks, seed pods, feathers, leaves, nuts, grass, pinecones, flower petals, etc.

Feature image credit: @christiebauerphotography

102. Watch a sunset

Spring is a wonderful time to curl up in a blanket and watch a sunset together. Since the days are just starting to get longer, sunset comes at a reasonable time for little ones to watch without staying up too late. Plus, the cool weather, the pops of green coming out of the trees and the smell of rain make it even more magical.

103. Outdoor family game night

Enjoy the cooler weather and create a family tradition of playing games outdoors in the fall! Whether it’s a traditional board game (like Monopoly or Life), a fun family card game (like Uno or Go Fish) or something a bit more interactive (charades or Pictionary), games are great outdoor activities. This is my personal favorite family game (and this i-spy game is my kids’ favorite).

104. Climb a wall

Climbing walls are all the rage at playgrounds and parks these days. Make a special visit to check one out this spring and let your kids attempt to conquer it. They’re super fun and exciting for kids and great for their full-body senses, balance, strength, and agility.

What’s your favorite outdoor spring activity for kids?

The post 100+ Spring Outdoor Activities for Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Gardening in all shapes and sizes

One of my favorite things about gardening is that it can usually be done anywhere, with whatever you have available. There are so many different ways to have a garden! You might have an in-ground garden in the backyard, raised beds in a community garden, pots/containers sitting on a windowsill, or maybe you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse. All of these are great choices and there’s no one right way to garden. Don’t feel that you need to have acres and acres of land to be a gardener. Even containers on your patio can produce more than you might think during the fall season. 

How to prep your soil for a fall garden

The first thing you need to do to get ready for planting a fall garden is to get your soil ready. You’ll want to start with good soil so that your plants have what they need to grow strong. For a raised bed or in-ground garden, you’ll want to amend your soil. To amend soil means to improve it with additional materials. Soil amendments improve the physical nature of your soil. They reduce compaction, aerating the soil to allow water and nutrients to more easily move through it and reach plant roots. Some soil amendments also add nutrients to the soil, help retain moisture and help maintain the correct pH balance. Examples of soil amendments are potting soil, compost, peat moss, etc. 

In San Diego, the city dump sells a truck bed full of compost for $12 and it’s AMAZING! I mix the compost into my existing garden soil and have had great success with it. If you are planting in pots or other containers, don’t scrimp on the potting soil. You get what you pay for in this situation. Go to your local nursery and ask them what brand of potting soil they recommend for vegetables. In my experience, employees at local nurseries are quite knowledgeable or can at least direct you to someone who has answers. That hasn’t been the case for me at bigger chain stores. If you end up there, look for a potting soil specifically made for container vegetable gardening. 

Planting your fall garden

Now you’re sitting there looking at your beautiful, possibly smelly soil, and wondering what to plant. My number one recommendation is radishes. Radishes are so much fun to grow with kids! They sprout in 3 – 6 days. This is perfect for little ones who lose interest in things very easily. Every day after it sprouts you will notice a little bit of growth in the radish. Some varieties of radishes are even ready to harvest in just 21 days!

Here are a couple of the varieties I planted with my kids this fall. Don’t they look like something fun to eat?

Cool-season vegetables for fall gardening

Here’s a list of fall/cool-season vegetables that do well in a fall garden:

• lettuces
• beets
• kale
• broccoli
• carrots
• spinach
• peas
• turnips
• parsnips
• onions
• mustard greens
• endive
• arugula
• bok choy
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• Brussel sprouts
• rhubarb
• celery
• radishes

Peas are definitely favorites with my kids. We planted three different varieties of peas in our fall garden this year. One variety has an edible pod, one snow pea variety, and one with purple pods.

Get to know your growing zone

I live in San Diego, California, USA. We have a very mild climate. When it hits 65 degrees Fahrenheit I’m probably going to bring out my down jacket. You might live somewhere where even 50 degrees means shorts and a t-shirt. You and I won’t have the same success growing the same plants.

The climate you live in will determine what plants you will be most successful at growing right now. This is something known as a growing zone, planting zone, or hardiness zone. If you live in the United States you can find the zone you live in by your zip code. If you live outside the US, you can find your zone as well. Once you know your zone you can get a list of specified plants that will thrive in your climate. Choosing plants that grow well in your planting zone will set you up for gardening success. 

How to pick seeds for your fall garden

I love picking out my seeds for my garden. I order my seeds from a company called Baker Creek Seeds. This company has a large selection of heirloom seeds. The term “heirloom” is usually applied to fruit, flower, or vegetable varieties that were being grown before World War II. Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated, meaning that, unlike hybrids, seeds you collect from one year will produce plants with most of the characteristics of the parent plant. And that’s key to their survival. Many heirloom varieties were preserved by home gardeners who saved seeds from their family gardens from year to year. 

It’s also fun to plant new varieties of common veggies because they look and taste a little different. My kids get so excited when they pull a purple carrot out of the ground! The photos above show the seeds that we planted this fall. Pumpkins aren’t really considered a cool-weather crop, but all of my previous attempts with pumpkins this year were sabotaged by pests. I threw a few pumpkin seeds in the ground hoping I might have something to show by Thanksgiving!

Sometimes gardening is just trial and error friends. You never know what will happen (grow or fail) year over year. A fall garden doesn’t need to be perfect. Never take it too seriously! Let your kids get involved in the process of picking out seeds to plant. They’ll be more excited about growing fruits and veggies if they were part of the process. 

Getting started now with your fall garden

Are you feeling inspired to get your fall garden started, yet? Great! Don’t worry about having everything ready right away. To get started, you just need a few small paper cups, soil, and seeds! 

You can get your seeds started growing long before your garden space or beds are ready for the plants. Last fall, I didn’t have my raised beds ready to plant just yet but I really wanted to get my seeds going. I poked a hole in some Dixie cups and started germinating some sugar snap peas.

Putting the cups in a plastic or cardboard container will help keep the soil in the cups moist. I wouldn’t recommend doing this with any root vegetables, but lettuces or peas grow well when started in smaller containers. You can even put them indoors for a couple of weeks if you have to.

The garden classroom

One of my favorite shirts is from Nature Supply Co and it says, “Not all classrooms have four walls.” Gardens are proof of that and can serve as amazing classrooms! Your kids will learn not only the life cycle of plants and the cyclical nature of the seasons, but also important life skills. Kids need patience when waiting for seeds to sprout or for a vegetable to mature. They learn vigilance by going to the garden daily and checking for pests. Their self-control increases by not watering the soaking wet soil even though watering is so much fun.

They will get outside, see the sun coming up in the east and setting in the west as they work in the garden this fall. They will pay attention to shadows and sunshine and rainy days, but only if you give them the opportunity. A garden is a beautiful way to reconnect together over a common project. 

Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.” Confucius

Involve your kids

You’ve probably heard the quote by Confucius above. That holds true in the fall garden. You could make your soil rich and beautiful on your own, choose and purchase all the seeds, set up timed irrigation, and just let your kids help plant the seeds. This would still be a good experience, but imagine how much more meaningful that garden would be if you involved your children in all aspects of the planning. Planning! There’s a life skill I forgot to mention.

Let them find the volume of the raised bed. Ask them to calculate how many bags of garden soil and compost you will need to fill those beds. Let them get their hands dirty mixing the soil. Browse the seed catalog together and let them choose what they want to plant. Read the back of the seed packet with them and figure out together if you have enough space to plant an entire packet of radish seeds. Buy a special gardening notebook and keep track of the days you planted. Then research together when you can expect your harvest. Gosh, the possibilities here are endless! 

Even the smallest kids can get involved in gardening

Think your kids are too young to garden? There are chores for all ages when it comes to fall gardening! My youngest isn’t super young anymore, but he does love to bring his spray bottle out to the garden and water for me. Even a toddler can manage a small spray bottle. Just plan on changing clothes afterward, if you need to! If your kids are anything like mine, they won’t stay dry for long. And if you have cats, they’ll find somewhere to hide pretty quickly.

Additional benefits of gardening for kids

I could go on and on about the benefits of gardening with your kids. We didn’t even talk about the whole nutrition aspect, learning about where food comes from, or the positive impact playing in the dirt has on a child. Cornell University has a wealth of information detailing what researchers have found in relation to kids and gardening. Statistics are great and all, but on a personal level I have found that being in the garden provides me with a great way to spend quality time with my kids. We do taste tests, find bugs, get dirty, and have a lot of fun.

There’s no time like the present to start something new, so get growing!
What will you plant in your garden this fall?

About the author

Wendy is a married momma living in central San Diego, CA, raising 4 human kids, 2 goat kids, 4 chickens, and one grumpy cat. She enjoys gardening, hiking, camping, backpacking, going to the beach, and generally getting out-of-doors. Wendy is a family photographer and also works at several local elementary schools as a garden educator. She dreams of traveling to all 50 states and beyond, and believes that there is great beauty to be found in all parts of the earth, we just have to open our eyes to see it.

You can find more from Wendy online in the following locations:
Instagram: @wendycoxphotography
RWMC posts: Wendy Cox

The post Tips for Fall Gardening with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Benefits of ladybugs in a garden

Ladybugs are considered one of the most beneficial insects in your garden. Ladybugs are wonderful for gardens because they’re capable of consuming up to 50 to 60 aphids per day! Aphids feed on plant tissues and can also transmit viruses to plants, so the fewer aphids, the healthier your garden. Ladybugs don’t just stop there, though. They will also eat a variety of other insects and larvae including scales, mealy bugs, moth eggs, leafhoppers, mites, asparagus beetle larvae, whitefly, and various types of soft-bodied insects. All of these insects can be harmful to your plants, flowers, and vegetables. Encouraging ladybugs to take residence in your garden may mean less work for you as well as less need for chemical pesticides.

Bringing ladybugs to your garden

If you have a garden with aphids, ladybugs will naturally come to your garden on their own. They also seek out pollen for food, so if you grow pollen-laden flowers and herbs, your garden will naturally will attract ladybugs. These include, but aren’t limited to: angelica, calendula, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, marigolds, nasturtium, scented geraniums, and yarrow. You’ll also want to limit the use of insecticides, which will help ensure a healthy population of ladybugs in your garden. 

However, if you don’t have the patience to wait for the ladybugs to find your garden and want to hurry the process along (or give your kids a chance to really get up close and personal with some ladybugs), you can purchase a bag of hundreds of these little garden soldiers. When considering this, it’s very important to buy native species of ladybugs. Releasing ladybugs into your garden is a really fun way to get kids interested in gardening and teach them about this amazing insect.

Fun ladybug facts for kids

• Ladybugs are also called ladybirds or ladybeetles.
• To help defend themselves, ladybugs play dead.
• They also can release a foul-smelling yellow fluid from their knees that other bugs find stinky.
• During winter ladybugs hibernate together to stay warm, usually, in plant refuse and crevices.
• Ladybugs have two sets of wings – the outer set is the hard shell for protection and the inner set is what it uses to fly.
• The ladybug larvae resemble tiny black alligators.
• Ladybugs taste and smell with their antennae.
• Ladybugs come in many colors, most commonly red, orange, yellow, or scarlet with black dots on them.
• Within a year, there can be as many as 5-6 generations of ladybugs as the average time from egg to adult only takes about 3-4 weeks.
• They are found worldwide (except in cold places like the Arctic and Antarctica).
• Some ladybugs have white spots and some even have stripes.
•  In the spring, female ladybugs lay anywhere from 50-300 eggs, which are yellow & oval-shaped and are usually found in clusters of 10-50
• The most known ladybug is the red one with 7 black spots however other species can have different numbers of spots.
• Ladybugs are omnivores – they eat other small insects, fruit, aphids.
• Ladybugs live from 2 to 3 years.

How to release ladybugs in your garden

We recently noticed that our tomatoes were being attacked by some tiny predators. I’m pretty proud of my tomatoes and fiercely protective of them! While I wanted to desperately save them, I didn’t want to use any chemicals on the plants. My kids help water the garden, they play near it and we have a dog, so pesticides weren’t an option. Instead, we decided to give ladybugs a try.

We ordered 1,500 live ladybugs from Amazon, which arrived a few days after placing our order. I made sure to check that we ordered a species that was native to our location, so as to not introduce any invasive species. The kids were so excited when they arrived and wanted to release them right away. However, there are a few things you need to do when releasing ladybugs to ensure they stick around to help out your garden, so we had some prep work to do.

Prepping your ladybugs for release

As soon as the ladybugs arrive, put the bag in a cool place (refrigerator) until late in the day. This will slow their metabolism and place them in a slightly dormant state until the time that you want to release them.

Release ladybugs in the evening

Make sure that the ladybugs are released in the evening into a soaking wet garden that has some aphids. If you release them into a dry garden or during the day, they will likely fly away. Release them in the evening hours and they’ll immediately find a place to sleep and settle in for the night. Ladybugs won’t fly in the dark, so releasing them just after sunset ensures they’ll stay the night. In the morning, they’ll be hungry and start looking for some delicious plant pests to much on.

You could also try releasing your ladybugs in small batches over a day or two. This ups your chances of keeping some around.

Tips to ensure the ladybugs stay in your garden

There are a couple of ways to encourage your new friends to hang around your place and not go skipping off to the neighbor’s house. After their long journey, they are usually dehydrated when they arrive, so a soaked garden will provide opportunities for them to quench their thirst. When releasing, gently scatter or spread them out so each ladybug can find food and water immediately. And if they encounter aphids as they’re drinking, many of the ladybugs will decide that this garden is a good place to stay.

Get the kids involved in your ladybug release

While I was really excited about the ladybugs, the kids absolutely loved being a part of the release. My fearless 5-year-old couldn’t get enough of them. He’s been known to befriend bugs, crickets, worms, and spiders, so his fascination with the ladybugs came as no surprise.

I was excited to see him embrace the ladybugs and let them crawl all over him. I’m not sure this is typical kid behavior (my 2-year-old was not this enthusiastic about them), so don’t be worried if your child isn’t quite as into it! If you’re not squeamish about it, let them crawl on your hands too! Show your kids how to be gentle with them. Ladybugs don’t sting or bite, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.

Check out this post for more tips on how to help kids get over their fear of bugs and creepy crawlies. 

Do you garden with ladybugs?
Is this something your kids would like?

Also, be sure to check out these related posts:

• How to Make Gardening with Kids Fun
• 5 Easy Vegetables to Grow with Kids
• Garden Planning with Kids
• Kid-Friendly Snacks from the Garden

The post Gardening with Ladybugs appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

This post contains affiliate links. 

Gardening as a family

Gardening is one of our family’s favorite outdoor hobbies. I didn’t grow up gardening, though. In fact, I had to learn how to garden (TWICE) as an adult. Once in zone 5 and again when we moved to zone 8. Gardening is a hobby that continually teaches us to pay attention to the small things, but also brings us such joy throughout the year. While most of the actual gardening happens in spring and summer, winter is when a great garden begins! And here is how I bring my children into the garden planning process! 

How to get started gardening in your zone

The question I get asked most often is: “Where do I start?” My answer is always the same…before you buy seeds or shop your local garden center, you need to learn what “zone” you’re in. Your garden zone determines what you plant and when. It’s a critical piece of information to begin your planning process.

One of the best resources for this is your local master gardeners* chapter. I’ve always found that the master gardeners are so helpful and eager to share their knowledge with new gardeners. You can find your local chapter by an internet search or by contacting your county’s agriculture extension office. Prior to the pandemic, I used to attend a monthly talk given by my local master gardeners. Those talks have now moved online and many of them are free to attend via Zoom! I filled an entire notebook with notes I took at those meetings. 

* “Master gardeners” are people who have received extensive training in gardening in their area (usually through a university program) and then provide information to the public via phone or email helplines, speaking at public events, writing articles for publications and the internet, and partnering with other community programs, gardens, and educational facilities.

Laying out the plans

The next step in planning your garden is to layout your plan and figure out what you want to plant and where. This process changes every year (sometimes multiples times in a year). Here’s how our garden layout planning has gone: We made garden plans. And we changed them. Then we put in raised beds. And we changed the plans again. Then we added a keyhole garden. And changed plans yet again. This last year we added an arch tunnel and two more raised bed gardens. We changed our plans again.

The good news is that you can make plans and add to them as often or as little as you want. One really beautiful thing about gardening is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. There are ways that work better/best, but sometimes those take trial and error to figure out. Yes, you can dive deep into getting soil mixtures right and testing to be sure they’re the right balance and pH. Or, you can just learn along the way, celebrating the wins and learning from your losses.

The garden planning process

We take the learn as we go route. My first step in the garden planning process is to draw out the layout of my garden. I make a smaller copy for myself and a larger version for my children. For older children, you could use grid paper and have them make the aerial view to scale. With younger children, draw in the shapes of your garden. Or just give them a big piece of cardboard left over from the holidays and let them have at it.

It’s also fun to let them imagine what their own garden plot would look like, whether it’s an actual garden space or just a pot of their very own. We get out our art supplies and draw what our garden space looks like from above. There are no rules for this, it’s meant to be fun. So set aside lessons and expectations, and have some fun. 

Put your pens and markers to paper

After you have the outline of your garden space complete, it’s time to start filling it in. Older children can label and work on spatial awareness as they designate a place for each plant. It’s also a great way to work on handwriting. Younger children can color or draw what they want in their garden space. I like to go back to the garden map I made the previous year, to see what I had growing where, what was a perennial or annual, and what I want to change.

As you learn to garden, one thing I highly recommend is to be a casual journaler. I’m not talking about obsessive growing notes, but if that’s you, go for it. More like just making notes throughout your year about what is growing well, what isn’t, what pests you’re dealing with, and things you’d like to change. Then you can refer to those notes as you plan for the next year. Mental notes are great (if you can remember them), but I prefer paper. A simple journal works great, but you can also find all kinds of garden journals or diaries for more detailed notetaking. 

Making garden planning fun for kids

One of the best ways to make the garden planning fun and visual for children is to let them cut up pictures to paste onto the map you made. Remember middle school (ish?) when we cut up photos from magazines and newspapers? Then we glued them onto our trapper keepers to make them super cool? Yeah, we’re doing that again! But this time it’s with seed catalogs.

WITH WHAT?! Yes, with seed catalogs. By the time I’m ready to plan with my kids, I’ve already poured over the countless number of seed catalogs I received (several times). I order all of my seeds online so I don’t need the magazines anymore, but they are so pretty and filled with vivid photos of plants. It’s so fun to make the garden plans highly visual with the pretty pictures.

I give my kids the seed catalogs, scissors, and glue and let them have at it. Fix yourself a coffee or tea, turn on some classical music, and browse your own garden journal. You can even organize your seeds while they have fun. It’s a great way to visually see your garden, all the colors and shapes, the various plants, flowers and vegetables.  Plus, it gets the kids excited about the process and they become knowledgeable about the plants in your garden.

To really make garden planning special for kids, designate a garden space just for your children. Make a little garden sign for their space, let them choose a seed packet, and let them be in charge from start to finish. 

This case is for organizing photos but it works GREAT for seeds. Find it HERE. 

When and where do you order seeds?

Yesterday. No really, order them right now. ASAP. Due to current world circumstances, seed shops and garden centers are seeing unprecedented amounts of orders. Baker Creek seeds has shut its website down several times to get caught up on orders. Seed Savers has a disclaimer up about the delayed shipping times. Seed companies all over are struggling to keep up with the demand. However, you can get seeds locally at big box garden centers and local garden centers.

If you’re hoping to save your seeds, I would recommend buying non-GMO, organic, or heirloom seeds to begin, to be sure of saving high-quality plants. Another great way to gather seeds is to participate in a seed swap with gardening friends. A page that I adore, Jill Ragan of Whispering Willow Farm does a huge seed swap every year and it’s really neat. Also, a huge shout out to Jill for her genius seed organizing idea. She’s an inspiring gardener and I highly recommend following her. 

What you’ll need for garden planning with kids

To make the garden planning FUN for you and your children, here is what I recommend:

• Markers, crayons, pencils, paint, any and all art supplies
• Scissors and glue (glue sticks work best)
• Gardening magazines and seed catalogs
• A large piece of paper, or piece of a cardboard
• Graph paper for older children
• Finger paints and finger paint paper for younger children
• A large workspace – clear the kitchen table or do it on a hard surface floor
• A no-rules attitude, let the creativity flow (that includes you too)
• Some background jams (I prefer classical music)
• Snacks
• Coffee or tea for mental stimulation, plus it just tastes good

Remember, this is meant to be a fun activity to involve your children in the planning process, so let it be fun! If they mess up and put sunflowers in the middle of the tomatoes, it doesn’t matter. It’s an opportunity to learn, for everyone. 

What about older children?

Garden planning is a great opportunity for older children to do some critical thinking. Here are some ways to involve older children that will help them with some STEM skills and concepts:

• Have them generate a graph to show seed starting dates and when to plant in the ground
• Research companion planting
• Create a planting schedule
• Make a budget for seed spending
• Practice taking soil pH samples
• Create wet mount slides to look at the soil under a microscope (Nematodes, yay!)
• Make a business plan for selling transplants (small plants grown from seed)

There are so many ways to make this project fun for the whole family. I highly suggest getting everyone involved. The world has felt so heavy in the last year and having a family hobby that gets everyone involved, excited, and eventually outside is a very, very good thing. 

A few favorite gardening resources

I’m an entirely self-taught gardener. Everything I know came from reading, listening to talks and speeches, obsessive internet searching, trial and error, and asking lots of questions. I encourage you to find books, magazines, podcasts, people, mentors, and even gardening accounts on social media. These resources are so important and helpful as you learn what works for you and your family.

Here are a few of my favorite gardening books:

• Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy – Her original book is nearly impossible to find now, however she has many other books available on Amazon. 
• The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward C. Smith
• Raised Bed Gardening for Beginners by Tammy Wylie
• Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte
• Junior Master Gardeners Handbook
• Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
• Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Wallace
• We are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines

Spiders make a regular appearance in our garden. 

Want even more gardening goodness?

If you’d like to hear more about our gardening shenanigans and follow along on our growing journey, you’re in luck! You can read about the luffa vines that took over our garden and how my kids made a little business out of it HERE. Do you love sunflowers? Me too! You can read about our end of the season sunflower dissection HERE. I also made garden Reels videos my “thing” last summer on Instagram. Here’s a fun one, and another fun one.  Follow along as our garden grows on #coleyraegardens. I’m here to help answer any questions I can or point you in the right direction. And please tag me (@coleyraeh) on social media if you make garden plans. I’d love to see them! 

Are you excited about planning your garden this year?
Will you make some plans ahead of time or make it up as you go? 

About the author

Nichole is mama to two incredible adventurers, an older boy and a younger girl. They are in their seventh year of homeschooling. She’s married to her best friend and they share a mutual love for the outdoors. An Iowan native now living in the south, she is happy to claim Arkansas as home. She is a wanderlust (and coffee) fueled, fearless, road tripper who has been known to take off for epic adventures at a moment’s notice. Hiking and camping (of the backpacking variety) and crystal digging are a few of their favorite family activities. You can find her in the woods somewhere, probably up a creek, and jumping off waterfalls.

You can find more from Nichole online in the following locations:
Website: www.luckeywanderers.com
Instagram: @coleyraeh
RWMC posts: Nichole

The post Winter Garden Planning with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Grow something, grow anything!

Let’s start with the easiest thing to do in teaching kids where their food comes from…grow something. Anything! It doesn’t have to be difficult or an entire garden worth of plants. Just start with planting a seed or two in a pot in your house or in the backyard. If you live a nomadic life on the road you can still participate. Let those plants sit in the window as you trundle down the road.

You’ll only need a few things to get started with growing food. Grab some organic potting soil or compost from your local hardware store or nursery, a couple of pots to grow your plants in, and the seeds of your choice. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming to be considered growing something. You don’t have to be a farmer or a gardener or even have a “green thumb”. Just give it a try.

Get the kids involved in growing

Let your kids have fun getting a little messy filling their pots up with potting soil or digging in the soil in the backyard. Growing something doesn’t have to be dirty per se, but when you mix kids with dirt, a little mess is bound to happen. I find it easiest to just embrace it and not fight it. Let them have fun and they’ll be more likely to participate and enjoy the activity. 

Once your kids have their pots loosely filled with soil or the soil loosened in your garden beds it’s time to plant the seeds they’ve chosen. Each seed is a little different about how it responds best regarding germination. Some seeds like to be left on the surface of the soil. Some seeds like to be pushed into the soil a little ways. Others like to have small mounds piled over them.

Your seed packet should provide ideal planting conditions printed on it, including helpful information on the depth to plant the seed in the soil, watering intervals, hours of sunlight it desires, etc. Reference those for the best chances to succeed at germination and growth. However, we’ve also let our kids plant things any way they wanted at times and plenty of the seeds still sprung forth. Where there’s a will there’s a way.

Let it grow, let it grow!

After their seeds are planted it’s just down to watering and time (i.e. patience). If you’re growing indoors, find a window or ledge for the plants where they will have about the right amount of sunshine. Keep them up high to protect them from younger siblings looking to do their own dirt exploration activity (speaking from personal experience here). Then, you’ll just need to keep your soil adequately watered (but not over-watered) while waiting for their little seed to sprout.

We’ve had everything from overenthusiastic waterers to potentially some watering neglect. You name it, we’ve covered the watering spectrum. Once again, the plant wants to grow, it wants to sprout. Don’t stress about having everything perfect for it. There’s an area of grace around its ideal growing conditions, it’s not something you need to meet 100% to succeed.

Of course, your kids will be confident their seeds are never going to sprout about an hour after they’ve planted them. Because surely, they should be up by now. It’s been forever! Patience, grasshopper. In a few days, you should start to see little sprouts coming forth out of the soil.

Each plant is different, so some will sprout quicker than others. Let the kids check them first thing every morning. They’ll likely give them a little poking and prodding. It’s alright, it’s part of their curiosity in learning about the growing process. I like to let it happen. Worst case scenario, the seed doesn’t sprout and they’ve learned what they can’t do and will just need to plant new seeds. No biggie.

Be curious and observant

As their plants grow they’ll notice leaves springing forth. Some plants will have different stems growing out of the main one. Some will be a main stalk, some will flower, some will spread over the ground. Every plant is different and has unique qualities. My kids ask me loads of questions about observations they make about plants and animals that I’ve never noticed nor thought about. I regularly have to look up their questions to find answers. It’s a part of the growing process (the plants’ and the kids’) I never anticipated but have come to love.

Over time, with regular care, the plant will start to produce whatever fruit or vegetable it’s supposed to produce. More questions come along with this process. And more patience is required as they wait for it to grow to maturity. Eventually, the time comes for the harvest when they can pick and eat the fruits of their labor. In my opinion, this is the best part. 

There is no more satisfying feeling than seeing my kids eyes light up as they bite into a tomato they’ve watched grow from a tiny seed, or plucking raspberries off the plant for a snack as they run by. From having experienced the entire growing process, kids have a deeper understanding of where their food comes from and how much work and love goes into growing each plant.

Follow a farmer and get a tour

So, what if you’re wanting to dig deeper into growing fruits and vegetables than you can in your backyard? What if you want more of a field trip than the hands-on growing experience? Kids love this. There are likely plenty of small farmers in your area that would love to give you a tour of their farm. If you live deep within the heart of a city, you might have to venture an hour or more away. But, most people should be able to find a farm within 30 minutes. It all depends on your area, but you might be surprised how many small farms there are around you.

You say, “That’s great, Jake, but how do I find these farmers?” To which I say, “Google it.” If the search results in your area don’t turn up a whole lot (which isn’t uncommon) you might have to get a little creative. Plenty of farmers exist on social media. Once you find one farm locally, you’ll likely find quite a few connected with them. From there you can follow them, learn from them, and get to know them even from the comfort of your home.

We have plenty of farmers we follow and know their farming ups and downs. We consider them friends and we learn from them regularly even though we’ve likely never met in person. Follow local farms on social media and get to know them. Maybe once you feel comfortable, reach out to them, express interest in visiting their farm. They’ll likely be more than happy to show you around. If you’re still struggling to find any farmers in your area, message me on Instagram @blackridgefarms and I’ll be happy to help you out. 

Visit a farmer’s market

Another way to find farmers in your area to talk to is by visiting your local farmer’s market. If there are farmers at the market, it’s likely they’re from a farm nearby. If you’re comfortable with it, strike up a conversation, and chat with them. Ask your questions and get to know more about what they grow.

If you’d rather contact them after you’ve procured their farm name and location on their booth, reach out to them via email or social media. Mention you saw them at the market and would love to visit their farm. I’ve yet to turn someone down from a request like this.

Farmers are doing what they do for a love of the land, the plants, and the animals. We love to share that with anyone interested. Especially kids.

Map out where food comes from

A lot of our homeschooling involves following our kids’ natural curiosity. We take the opportunity to teach by exploring the questions that pop up from our kids when they come across things they’re unfamiliar with or haven’t learned about yet. Whenever we come across an interesting new food, the first thing we do is look it up and figure out where it’s from. We end up exploring the area of the world the new food grows. We learn about what the weather conditions are like there, soil conditions, farming practices, etc.

Over time, as we end up looking up more foods and animals, our kids start to make connections. They consider what the climate might be like in an area of the world they’ve never been to. They start to connect the dots of “oh hey, this chicken breed is from the same country as that type of cheese we made and that variety of grapes we have growing in the garden.”

In this regard, the experience and learning is less about the growing of the food or the farm where it was grown and more of a geography lesson about where certain foods grow well and where they originate from. In our northern climate with cold, snowy winters, this is how our kids now understand that it’s not feasible for us to grow bananas or kiwis outdoors. And they also appreciate how far those foods have to come to get to us. 

Connecting with your food

Connecting with your food can be as much or as little as you want it to be. For us, our lives revolve around the growing, care for, and enjoying of food. For you, it may be just a slight curiosity to know more about how your food is raised and where your food comes from. Or maybe you’re curious about what life may have been like for your grandparents that were farmers. There is no right or wrong answer. But hopefully, this post inspired you to get curious about where your food comes from and make it a priority to teach kids a little more about the growing and farming process.

What steps are you going to take in teaching your kids
about where their food comes from?

About the author

Jake and his wife Jessica are raising four adorable children on Black Ridge Farms in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. Jake enjoys any time spent on the farm taking care of their various animals and seeing how quickly the kids learn to care for and love their animals. He bounces back and forth between the farm and his 9-5 while Jessica shoulders the bulk of responsibility of homeschooling the kids, keeping the house in order, and keeping a watchful eye on the farm in Jake’s absence. While he has one foot dipped in the 1800s, the other foot has danced around the marketing and tech fields. Jake has worked as a Graphic Designer, Digital Designer, and most recently a User Experience Designer. Beyond those pre-packaged titles, Jake is a creative dreamer with an entrepreneurial streak that believes in the power of one’s mindset, time spent with loved ones, and real, healthy food.

You can find more from Jake online in the following locations:
Instagram: @blackridgefarms
Website: Black Ridge Farms
RWMC posts: Jake Smith

The post Teaching Kids About Where Food Comes From appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire” – William Butler Yeats

Homeschooling doesn’t have to be boring

No really, homeschooling doesn’t have to be boring and driven by a curriculum you bought online. Homeschooling can be fun and personalized and engaging for everyone. How? Interest-led learning!

For anyone not familiar with this concept, interest-led learning is the idea of following your children’s curiosity where it takes you and crafting homeschool lessons around their interests. You may also hear it called delight-directed learning, passion-oriented learning, or rabbit trailing (you follow the rabbit trail of your interests).

Every kid has something that he or she is naturally interested in or curious about. As a homeschooling mom, you can take note of those topics and help a child learn about that interest. You can integrate your children’s passions into your homeschool rhythm if you are willing to support and nurture their growing interests. But sometimes you have to think outside the box.

The big box of curriculum

I’ve now been homeschooling for six years. It’s strange to think that I’m no longer a newbie at this. When we first decided to homeschool, I did what most people do and jumped right into internet searches. This was seven years ago, before homeschooling became a front and center hot topic. My internet searching and asking around led me to “the big box.”

Boxed curriculum, as they’re called, are an all in one approach where all of the materials you will need can be ordered in one large order from one curriculum company. While these can be phenomenal resources for many families, I learned very quickly that it was not going to work for us. I spell out how I realized this and what I did to discover my style in HERE. What I quickly realized was that if I wanted to teach my children, I needed to hold their interest. But, how do you hold a child’s interest? Curiosity and passion.

Enter: interest-led learning

The lighting of a fire

In my research, I stumbled on the educational philosophies of Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, unschooling, unit study, and countless others. All of these things kept bringing me back to what I felt pulling on my heart. I desperately wanted the education of my children to be the lighting of a spark, rather than a dousing of a flame.  My wish? That their curiosity would carry them through childhood and they’d step out into adulthood, unscathed and unmarred by my attempts to put round pegs in square holes.

In our homeschool and our family, we believe in life-long learning and a permanent curiosity for the world around us. We believe that raising our children with the ability to know how to learn and to be constantly learning, are some of the keys to successful adulthood. Interest-led learning is a great way to keep that spark for curiosity alive and fuel their passions and interests. 

You cannot teach a person anything; you can only help him find it within himself.” – Galileo

Pancakes and spacewalks

One of the first interest-led learning studies I put together for my kiddos was a space study unit. My sweet five-year-old boy was completely enthralled by outer space. We read all the books, we assembled our own solar system, we did the Oreo cookie moon phases, we did it all. And it was glorious! 

My most favorite memory was a 5 AM pancake party to watch a spacewalk happen LIVE at the International Space Station. My children have always been early risers, but we woke extra early to watch the spacewalk happen. What a marvel of modern technology. I enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes with my children in our kitchen at home, while watching with stars in our eyes as the astronauts floated in space, with the beautiful orb of Earth just in view behind them. A few months later we took a family vacation to NASA headquarters in Houston, to seal in what we had learned and to stoke the flame a little more.

I’ll give you a little hint, dear friends, if you can keep your own curiosity and sense of amazement intact, it will influence and inspire your children. Never be afraid to learn new things and share that awe with your children. 

Study through story

One of our favorite methods to learn comes from the Charlotte Mason philosophy – the idea of slowly working our way through beautiful stories. “Living books,” as they are called. The first slow march we did was to follow a little wooden canoe through the Great Lakes in the story Paddle to the Sea. One chapter per week, so we could also learn the flora, fauna, geography, and history surrounding the chapter. The following fall, while a part of a family vacation, we visited a park in Nipigon, Ontario dedicated to that story. We stood on the shores of Lake Michigan and recalled the adventure we had as we slowly studied a book. It was an incredible experience and you can read the full story HERE. 

We also studied the Santa Fe Trail through Tree in the Trail. We followed it up with a road trip to visit family (read about it HERE), making stops along the way to solidify and complement what we had learned. Misty of Chincoteague was an easy favorite and I’ll never forget frolicking in the Atlantic waves just after we spotted a mother and foal on Assateague Island National Seashore. Again, you can read all about that trip HERE.

These trips and family vacations are not what brought the learning to life. That was our own special way of celebrating our learning journey and what we’d accomplished. What brought the interest-led learning to life was a slow and steady pace through beautiful stories that my children connected with. That connection is what makes all the difference. 

Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.” – Chinese Proverb

What is interest-led learning?

Interest-led learning really is as simple as it sounds. It can be applied to nearly any schooling philosophy you use. It’s a mindset and an approach to teaching your children. You recognize that they are whole persons, with their own passions and interests. Then, you take the time to gently uncover what sparks their curiosity.  This requires a habit of presence and noticing, seeing what makes your children light up.

Do you have a hard time paying attention if you’re not interested in what’s being discussed? Do you struggle to listen if the topic is not personally relatable to you? It’s the same for your children. But, with interest-led learning, they’re doubly excited about the topic and learning because it’s tailor-made for them!

Finding resources

The most important concept with interest-led learning is this: YOU are in charge of finding what makes your children come alive and then you get the opportunity to use that as a tool to stoke their passion for learning.

While that may sound intimidating, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we are quite literally swimming in homeschooling resources. Never before have there been so many incredible resources, many of which are available right from your phone or computer. An expert in interest-led learning and one of the most inspirational homeschoolers I know is Julie Bogart of Brave Homeschooler fame. Another one of my favorite resources for inspiration is the Wild + Free community, where you can connect with other homeschooling families in your area for support, camaraderie, and resources.

It is… nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wreck and ruin.  It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty.” – Albert Einstein

Lessons from our garden

One of our favorite sources for interest-led learning is our backyard garden. As simple as it sounds, a backyard garden is an endless source or incredible lessons and activities. We do botany studies as we learn about seeds sprouting, how pollination happens, and how we get fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Last year, our garden provided us with an abundance of hands-on science lessons with our sunflowers and luffa plants. I’m certain that our sunflower dissection will go down as a favorite “Science Friday” (more on that HERE).

Through gardening, my children learn about pollinators, all kinds of insects, seed saving, composting, and soil composition. They broadened their palates by tasting the wide variety of veggies, herbs and plants we grew. Recently, our garden studies went to the microbial level when we broke out the biology microscope and searched a soil suspension for nematodes and other microscopic life. 

You can provide a rich and diverse education for your children, right from your own backyard. When you tune your own mind and heart to be constantly curious, it will unlock a universe of learning potential. 

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower 

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand…”

– William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

How interest-led learning is all-encompassing

Interest-led learning is not a narrow education. While it may be one overarching topic, it can encompass so much and can be expanded to fit multiple children, in multiple age groups, and span multiple subjects. The only limit is your own creativity!

What does interest led learning look like?

So, what does it look like to start with a child’s interest and structure homeschooling lessons around that topic? How do you incorporate all the different subjects they need to learn? Let’s take the example of gardening:

• Science – seed growth, leaf types, pollination, soil content, composting, fertilization, growing the same plant in different soil types or lighting levels, etc. 
• History – the history surrounding the cultivation of plants – ancient civilization and Indigenous gardening techniques, crop rotation, slash and burn, the movement of seeds around the globe, the rise and fall of cash crops, etc.
• Language arts – gardening picture books, reading and narration of nature/garden inspired books, create a fictional story that takes place in your backyard garden, craft a report about the garden at the end of the season, etc. 
• Math – seed counting and sorting, plotting how many seeds sprout and graphing production results, chart the color of zinnias that bloom, measure daily growth, older students can work on planning out square foot gardening, measure garden space, determine how many plants can be grown, etc. 
• Foreign language – learn the words for the plants, vegetables, flowers, etc. 
• Miscellaneous – make natural dyes with flowers from the garden, eat a meal entirely from the garden (culinary arts), produce something for a local farmers market and let the kids take the lead (entrepreneurship), create a garden space just for the kids and step back, practice floral arrangements, create nature collages, go on a color scavenger hunt, etc. 

When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Next up

In our homeschool, we are currently taking an extended dive into ocean studies. Why? Because my son as expressed interest in being a marine biologist and loves the ocean! His current favorite book is one about Jacques Cousteau in the WhoHQ series.

We are also reading Island of the Blue Dolphins, the Burgess Seashore Book, and A Seal Called Andre. Up next: Pagoo, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Disney Plus has come in handy with all of the ocean documentaries and we were absolutely enthralled with a National Geographic documentary about a voyage to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. 

You are not alone

This homeschooling journey can be a hard one and may feel lonely at times. However, I promise you that you are not alone. Interest-led learning is an easy way to infuse joy, passion and excitement in your education process. It’s a wonderful way to show your child how much fun it is to follow their curiosities and an amazing way to really get to know them and their interests. 

And if you’re ever feeling lonely or have questions on where to start or how to do this, there is a beautiful and welcoming homeschool community out there. I, personally, am here to talk anytime you need to. Thanks for reading, friends!

Be sure to check out my article about crystal digging and how it’s a great hands-on geology lesson! 

Photo by Tiffany of Three Moons Photography

Are you homeschooling this year?
Are you doing any interest-led learning?

About Nichole

Nichole is mama to two incredible adventurers, an older boy and a younger girl. They are in their sixth year of homeschooling. She’s married to her best friend and they share a mutual love for the outdoors. An Iowan native now living in the south, she is happy to claim Arkansas as home. She is a wanderlust (and coffee) fueled, fearless, road tripper who has been known to take off for epic adventures at a moment’s notice. Hiking and camping (of the backpacking variety) and crystal digging are a few of their favorite family activities. You can find her in the woods somewhere, probably up a creek, and jumping off waterfalls.

You can find more from Nichole online in the following locations:
Website: www.luckeywanderers.com
Instagram: @coleyraeh
RWMC posts: Nichole

The post Homeschooling: Interest-Led Learning appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

The Earth is what we all have in common.”
—Wendell Berry

15+ Earth Day Activities With Kids

Earth Day 2020

April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. On that historical day, 20 million Americans filled the streets with protests to stop the destruction of our precious planet. This essentially started what became the planet’s largest civic event and an environmental movement. Since then, Earth Day has been celebrated annually worldwide on the 22nd day of April.

While this year is a bit of an anomaly and we’ll have to celebrate at (or close to) home and away from others (no marches or protests this year), there’s no reason why this can’t be the best Earth Day celebration ever! Use this as a way to avoid shopping/purchasing anything new (especially plastics) and use what you’ve already got on hand in new ways. Get creative and make the most out of the things you already own or can find in nature close to home.

Celebrating Earth Day with kids

Getting kids involved in taking care of the planet when they’re young encourages them to continue the tradition as they get older. It’s a parent’s job to teach kids to be good stewards of the earth encourages them to love and respect their planet and nature. There are so many amazing ways you can celebrate this day with your kids and family while being conscious of your carbon footprint. Here are some of my favorites!

1. Nature scavenger hunt

Make a list of things found in nature around your home, neighborhood or a local park. Then go out for a walk or hike with the family and see how many items you can find. In order to save paper, you could make the list on your phone or a reusable dry erase board or reusable writing board. We love our Boogie Board writing tablets for things like this! 

2. Neighborhood clean up

Grab some gloves and garbage bags and beautify your neighborhood by removing all the trash humans have tossed around. My kids actually love doing this because they almost always find treasures they want to clean up and keep. Our oldest son keeps a whole lot of other people’s discarded items to use in creating art and sculptures, and we don’t mind one bit! We get to enjoy his creative mind while giving the trash a second life before it’s tossed into a landfill for decades, centuries, or possibly forever.

3. Family bike ride

Going on a family bike ride is a great way to get the family outside enjoying what Mother Earth has to offer while being active and adventurous! Head to your favorite bike trail or try a new one. You can enjoy your town or city without polluting the air and you’ll feel so great afterward!

4. Get out on the water

Spend the day observing nature from the water. Instead of using something motorized, try a kayak, rowboat, stand-up paddleboard, or other pollution-free water vehicle.

5. Make a bird feeder

There are TONS of ways to DIY a bird feeder using recycled materials. We made bird feeders using recycled toilet paper tubes, popsicle sticks, and even pine cones! We have a great post on making ec0-friendly bird feeders with kids using materials you already have at home! No need to leave the house!

6. Practice Earth Day yoga

My kids love doing yoga! Celebrate Earth Day with kids by doing a special outdoor kid-friendly yoga session. Stand barefoot in the grass so you can feel the earth under your feet and are grounded. Breathe in the fresh air and feel the sunshine and wind on your skin. You can pick some earth and animal-related poses to do. Tree, turtle, butterfly, lotus, and frog are some of my children’s’ favorite yoga poses.

7. Make seed bombs or seed paper

Another great activity to celebrate Earth Day with kids is to make seed bombs (with clay) or seed paper using recycled paper scraps you have lying around the house or in your recycling bin! You can bomb an area in your yard or neighborhood and see how they grow over the spring. Or give them out as gifts to friends or leave them on a neighbor’s doorstep as an Earth Day present. Feel free to use my seed paper valentine instructions as a guide, with a few swaps. Change the color (to blue/green) and shape (to a circle like the Earth) to match the Earth Day theme.

8. Start a garden

Kids love playing in dirt! Have them help you make a family garden. You can plant a flower garden or edible garden, and work together to take care of the plants. If you don’t have a lot of space or live in a city, you can always do a potted garden or patio garden! We don’t have a lot of space to plant edibles where we live, but we still try to grow some herbs and vegetables every year using pots and containers. Here are some recommendations for easy vegetables to grow with kids and a great post on how to make gardening enjoyable for kids.

Eco Tip: Be sure to buy the pots/containers pre-loved at a thrift store or from someone else!

9. Plant a tree

There’s no better time than Earth Day to plant a tree! Spring is a great time to plant and Earth Day is a great reason. Pick a special spot to plant a family tree that you all can visit for years to come! If you plant a fruit tree, you’ll also have the added benefit of beautiful blossoms and fruit you can enjoy once your tree is mature.

10. Make earth art

Doing an art project is always a fun way to celebrate and document any holiday. Making art from natural materials is so much fun to create. Plus, there’s a fun added benefit in that other people will find joy when they come across your artwork! You can use any kind of materials you find in nature to create a masterpiece on the ground. We like to use shells, sticks, rocks, leaves, flowers, petals, nuts and sand.

11. Start composting

Starting a compost is something that has been on my list to do for years now and I think Earth Day is when we’ll start! My oldest son has been bringing me food scraps daily, asking to put it in a compost instead of the garbage. I promised him we would do some research and begin one soon. We don’t live in a rural area and don’t have much of a backyard space so our compost will need to be small. However, there are plenty of great options for composting in small spaces and in the city! A friend uses this composting tumbler in their backyard and adds the finished compost to their flower beds. You could research composting with your kids and start this year, too! And when you start your compost project, make sure to include a few bins for little hands so the kids can help out, too!

12. Have a picnic

A great way to get outside and enjoy nature is by having a picnic. You can have a picnic inside or outside! But be sure to keep it earth friendly by:

• packing your picnic in reusable containers,
• bringing reusable utensils/straws/water bottles, and
• bringing cloth napkins/hand towels.

Bonus: Try to reduce your picnic carbon footprint by preparing a vegan meal!

13. Take a hike

One of our favorite outdoor activities is hiking. Hiking always inspires us to take care of our beautiful planet by reminding us just how impressive nature can be! This year, if you can safely get out to a place away from others, take a fun Earth Day celebratory hike. Bring along a bag to pick up any trash/litter you see and some binoculars to do some birding while you’re out!

14. Make nature crowns

Nature crowns are a really fun and easy craft you can make and wear in celebration of Earth Day! No need to buy anything, just use whatever you can find in nature. You can make nature crowns out of just about anything – flowers, grasses, clover, vines, sticks, dandelions or wildflowers! Be creative and have fun with it!

15. Make nature paint brushes 

Head out on a nature walk and collect different materials to use as paintbrushes! Pick up things like sticks, leaves, long blades of grass, flowers, etc. Take them home and dip them in paint to make a family piece of artwork to hang up forever. It’s a great way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. You’ll be able to look at the art you made and remember the time you spent with your children for years to come.

16. Earth Day puppet show 

Another fun way to celebrate Earth Day with kids is to make puppets with materials from your recycling bin. Or, you could make sock puppets from all those single socks you have lying around! You can have your children do some research online or read some books about ways to protect our planet. Then they can share what they’ve learned by putting on a puppet show! This is also an amazing activity to share with family and friends on FaceTime or other video chatting app during quarantine. You don’t have to leave your house and you can bring some joy to others in isolation from a safe distance!

17. Make sculptures, art, or robots using items in your recycling bin

My kids love making art from trash! It gives those items one more life before they get tossed into the recycling bin or trash can. Use materials you would normally throw away or recycle and repurpose them into art, a sculpture or a robot (or a monster or an alien or anything!). Let them paint and decorate their creation. Display it proudly!

18. Build a fort

Another great way to celebrate Earth Day is to head out into the woods with your family and make a fort together! Use materials found on the ground to design a shelter. (Do NOT take down anything alive! I’m sure you’ll have plenty of options that are no longer alive and that have fallen to the ground without the help of humans!) You could have a picnic inside your fort, read some books, or just sit in the quiet and observe Earth’s gifts surrounding you.

How will you celebrate Earth Day with your family?

About the author

Hi there, I’m Chelsea! I’m a photographer, mother of two busy boys, and sunshine and fresh air addict. We live in Virginia Beach and spend as much time outdoors as we possibly can! We spend most of our time exploring the beach, inlets, and nature trails nearby. Our family loves biking, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, building forts, and playing in the sand! During the warm months, you can find us enjoying the Chesapeake Bay almost every night until long after the sun goes down. We’re doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint and always try to leave every trail cleaner than it was when we arrived.

You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
Instagram: @dimples.and.the.blonde
Client work: @chelsea.lyn.photography
Website: dimplesandtheblonde.com
RWMC posts: Chelsea Furlong

The post 15+ Activities to Celebrate Earth Day with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Making a change

Each year I try to make a few changes in our lives that allow us to leave a smaller footprint on Earth. As I was thinking about what to do for this year’s valentines for my kids’ classmates, I realized this was another area we could make improvements. It seems like every year my kids bring home more and more stuff from their class holiday parties. Little plastic trinkets, individually wrapped candies, plastic baggies stuffed to the brim with junk that eventually ends up in the trash.

And let me be honest, my kids absolutely LOVE IT. They love receiving all those fun treats and they love giving them out as well. But this year I can’t do it. I can’t add to the growing problem. So, I decided to find an alternative that would more closely match our values.

DIY plantable seed paper Valentines

Instead of buying something that would be thrown away, we decided to make something. These DIY plantable seed paper valentines made from recycled paper are a perfect alternative to the usual store-bought valentine items! They check all of the boxes when it comes to a Valentine that aligns with our values. They’re handmade, which allows for me to spend extra time with the kids. They’re made from recycled materials, giving a new life to things that would otherwise be thrown away. And they’re plantable, which means our little Valentines will keep on giving long after we’ve gifted them!

Not only will these homemade Valentines provide beauty when they’re grown, but they’re extra good for the environment. We deliberately chose a wildflower pack that’s specifically made for birds and butterflies! Win-win for everyone! We had so much fun creating these eco-friendly seed paper valentines and hope you will too. They’re super simple to make and absolutely adorable!

Plantable seed paper materials

The great thing about these Valentines is that you don’t really need anything special to make them! Other than the wildflower seeds, you probably already have all the materials necessary to make your own plantable seed paper at home right now. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

• Paper scraps
• Food dye (optional)
• Wildflower seeds
• Water
• Large bowl
• Blender or food processor
• Grease splatter screen (or screen material)
• Towels
• Cookie sheet
• Pencil
• Scissors

How to make plantable seed paper

I was pleasantly surprised just how fun and easy it is to make your own DIY plantable wildflower seed paper. It didn’t take us long at all and we were so happy with the way it turned out. The paper is also so versatile and can be used for any variety of holidays, gifts or projects. Tuning the plantable paper into Valentines was so much fun and we truly loved the way they turned out.

Step 1: Gather paper and rip

The first step is to gather scrap paper and let the children rip up the paper into small pieces. I highly recommend using paper that has been used and that you’d normally recycle, as opposed to new clean paper. You can really use any kind of paper, from printer paper to construction paper. You can use junk mail, papers from the kids’ schoolwork that you aren’t keeping, flyers, old coloring book pages or even newspapers.

We used a stack of papers that would be normally tossed into the recycling bin. We also used one piece of red construction paper, just for some added color. You can use any colored paper depending on the color you want your seed paper to be, or just leave it out altogether.

Step 2: Soak the paper

Next, place the ripped pieces of paper into a bowl of water. Let the paper bits sit in the water for 10-15 minutes to allow the paper to fully soak and saturate.

Step 3: Puree to a pulp

Once the recycled paper is soaked, place the pulpy mixture into a blender or food processor. If you want create colored paper, now is the time to add a few drops of food coloring to the mix. We used two drops of red dye for ours. Put it all in the blender and liquefy it! This step should definitely be supervised by an adult!

*Please note: the blending can be hard on appliances so you’ll want to use a high-quality appliance. This may also dull your blades. Blend at your own risk*

Step 4: Add seeds and spread

Place a towel on a cookie sheet. Then place a splatter screen over towel. Once the paper mixture has been blended into a pulp, pour it back into the bowl. Then mix the wildflower seeds into the recycled paper pulp.

Have the children use a spoon or their hands to spread the pulp onto the screen. Using your hands or a spoon, spread the pulp as thinly and evenly as possible over the entire screen, pressing lightly to squeeze out any extra water. The towel beneath the screen will also help absorb the extra water that comes out of the paper.

Step 5: Let dry

Once the pulp has been evenly spread on the screens, leave it to dry. Drying time will vary depending on the thickness of the pulp and humidity. Our paper took several days to dry completely. Give it time! During the drying process, you’ll need to remove the wet towels under the paper and replace them with dry towels. Once the seed paper was stiff enough to handle without falling apart, I flipped it once to help with the drying time.

Step 6: Cut into shapes

When the plantable seed paper is completely dry and stiff, it’s ready to be made into Valentines! Use a cookie cutter as your template or even just a cutout shape of your choosing. We chose a heart (naturally!). Trace your shape onto the seed paper using a marker and then carefully cut them out. You may want to have the children do the tracing and have an adult do the cutting because the paper is quite fragile!

Step 7: Share the love!

Once you have your plantable seed paper cutout into the shape of your choice, that’s it!  Your frugal, earth-friendly valentines are complete and ready to give to friends, neighbors and family members. Let them know that they just need to plant the paper in a sunny spot to grow a beautiful little patch of wildflowers that will brighten their days and help the birds and bees. You could even print off some cute cards with fun phrases on them to attach to the Valentines. Pinterest has some great free printables to use!

Plantable seed paper makes a great gift! 

Plantable seed paper doesn’t only have to be for Valentine’s Day. You can make wildflower seed paper for so many occasions, using any kind of cutout shape, size or color. So it would be great for Earth Day, Mother’s Day, or any special occasion or holiday. These little cutouts make a great take-home favor for birthday parties and bridal/baby showers as well.

Do you make your own Valentines?
How do you make holidays more eco-friendly?

About the author

Hi there, I’m Chelsea! I’m a photographer, mother of two busy boys, and sunshine and fresh air addict. We live in Virginia Beach, Virginia and spend as much time outdoors as we possibly can! We spend most of our time exploring the beach, inlets, and nature trails nearby. Our family loves biking, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, building forts, and playing in the sand! During the warm months, you can find us enjoying the Chesapeake Bay almost every night until long after the sun goes down. We’re doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint and always try to leave every trail cleaner than it was when we arrived.

You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
Instagram: @dimples.and.the.blonde
Client work: @chelsea.lyn.photography
Website: dimplesandtheblonde.com
RWMC posts: Chelsea Furlong

The post DIY Eco-friendly Plantable Seed Paper Valentines appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.