Summer Gardening Projects for Parents and Kids
If you’re looking for some fun bonding activities to do with your kids that can get them off those devices and outside doing something active, consider starting some fun gardening projects. It’s a great way to get your kids involved in the process of growing plants and herbs. Gardening can prove to be a fun teaching moment when you can show them how plants absorb their nutrients from the sun and the soil, how photosynthesis works, how our food is grown and how hard work, dedication and patience can pay off when it’s time to harvest! Your kids will love the process, planting the seeds, watering them, potting them, maintaining them, and watching them grow. Here are some fun summer gardening projects you can both have fun working on:
Grow a Pumpkin Patch in Time for Halloween
Pumpkins thrive in warm weather. That’s why planting them in early summer means you’ll have the best chance of an October pumpkin harvest. This timing will allow the fruit to mature in the fall. Keep in mind, pumpkins grow and produce best at daytime temperatures of about 65° to 75°F, and while many varieties tolerate heat, growth and fruiting may be diminished at temperatures above 85°F. However, do also note that more sun yields higher size and quantity of pumpkins. At minimum, plant your pumpkins where they'll receive at least 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sun every day. The sun is also important because it helps keep the leaves dry. In the early morning, when the sun hits the leaves, it dries the dew quickly.
Grow an Herb Garden
Growing an herb garden is an easier gardening project that you can work on with young kids. These usually are potted in smaller containers and can be done indoors or outdoors. The teaching opportunity is a great one, as you can teach your kids about how herbs you eat in everyday meals are grown. They’ll for sure develop a newfound appreciation for our farmers who provide households with their groceries everyday and the food we consume on a daily basis. Your child will learn that food does not just magically appear but that it takes serious intention, effort and time to grow. Herbs can be relatively easy to maintain, too, so this might be good for really young children.
Make Garden Arches Together
Cattle panel makes perfect garden arches. This project will require your involvement and supervision. Have your child plant some trailing vegetables on the arches, things like: Peas, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Long Beans. Once these have started to grow, you’ll love walking under the arches that will be covered in plants with your kids. This method also maximizes your backyard space by creating a vertical garden.
Create a Pollinator’s Paradise
This is another great teaching moment: teaching your kids about how pollination works. Have your kids plant specific plants that pollinators like butterflies, hummingbirds and bees love. Plants with vibrant colors are usually a good bet. There are also specific types that are best-known for attracting pollinators, things like milkweed and lavender for butterflies, tubular perennials for hummingbirds and more. Brightly-colored flowers that are tubular tend to produce the most nectar, and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, lupines, and daylilies. Perennials like hollyhocks and foxgloves are great choices; Others include annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias. Once you’ve planted, watch how your backyards transforms into a buzzing blockparty for insects and birds! You’ll be enchanted watching how your plants attract these friendly neighbors.
If you’re going to take on any of these fun gardening projects, make the day extra special with some cute floral outfits that you and your kids can wear together!
