Gardening with children can be a rewarding experience for everyone. Most children, especially youngsters tend to approach the world in a state of a natural wonder and joy. This act of gardening can encourage children to learn about nature. Grandparents working with youngsters,helping little hands grow and create things can be a sheer delight as well as forming a bond between you and them.
Remember that smaller children attention span can be briefer than some older children and some might not like getting their hands dirty or confronting grubs and worms in the soil. Do not start them for the first time working in the garden during the busy spring month. Wait until you have finished your main chores and then you will have more time to spend with them. The first month of spring can often be windy and wet so it may pay to wait till the weather becomes more pleasant.
The garden is a wonderful area for children to learn about wildlife:- birds, butterflies, bees and many other creatures. Explain to them that bees make honey and if they do not touch them they will not be stung as they only sting when they are scared and if we leave them alone they will leave us alone. When young children are nearby, do not kill any slug, snails or caterpillars in their sight, but come back and kill them when they are not around. Explain to them that they eat the plants and destroy them and you hope they will go away. Teach the children that not all creepy- crawlies are garden pests. Explain to your children how the worms work the soil like little shovels.
You need to grow seed and plants that give quick results to keep them interested throughout the growing season. Seed such as raddish, carrots dwarf peas and flowers:- petunias, pansies. Always prepare the soil well ahead of time so that the children do not grow impatient while preparation is taking place. Do not make gardening a contest between children, ask them if this flower is going to grow taller than them or will mummy or daddy will like this flowering plant? Encourage them by giving them their own garden tools including a watering can. Let them water their own plants, remember children love to play with water, but teach them only to water when you tell them. Make their gardening a fun time all the year around even in autumn and winter. Get the children to help you collect autumn leaves and let them take some of the colourful ones inside the home to place in a special gardening book when the leaves are dry. In the winter take them outside on a fine day and show them what is happening in the vegetable and flower garden. Help them to pick some of their own produce and clean the leaves and stems with clean water before taking inside. Praise them for their efforts and tell them how proud you are of them.
You will plant little seeds in the mind of how to garden for the future life ahead and later on they may come to you and say thank you for teaching them.

See GARDEN CENTRE VISITOR SHOTS.