Right in Your Own Backyard

Kids love the outdoors. Where else can they run, play, and, best of all, find lots and lots of dirt? With spring in full bloom, it’s a great time to look at your own backyard as a place for children to grow their natural instincts into a lifelong relationship with nature.

Reconnect your kids with the great outdoors!

Here’s a bold idea: encourage your children to play with dirt. In the garden, that is. Whether it’s a simple pot of flowers or their own garden plot, growing things is exciting, rewarding, and (shh!) educational. Involve kids from the beginning: choosing plants, preparing materials, and discussing what will be involved in the days and weeks ahead. Even small children can help water the garden, and they’ll be delighted when something begins to grow.

Vibrant flowers and themed gardens are children’s favorites. Sunflowers appeal to kids because of their brilliant color and remarkable size. Daisies and marigolds can be grown in vast quantities for children to pick at will. A mystery flower garden sown with miscellaneous seeds is fun to watch grow and be surprised by what comes up. A vegetable garden with carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and green beans is fairly easy to grow and provides tangible, tasty results. Throw in some herbs, and your kids are well on their way to becoming culinary connoisseurs — or at least eating their vegetables.

Butterfly gardens are a great way to fill the air with winged wonders while enhancing a child’s interest in nature. Flat rocks scattered throughout the garden let butter- flies rest and sun themselves. These rocks will also attract earthworms, another garden and kids’ favorite.

Birdbaths and feeders are a source of color and motion that fascinates children and adults alike. Let children keep them filled, then watch as a variety of feath- ered friends come for a visit. Slightly older kids love using birding guides to identify species and study birdcalls. Help them start a running list of your backyard bird visitors during the summer months, or even longer if the fascination holds.

Teaching kids about the importance of recycling is also part of outdoor awareness. Transform plastic milk jugs into watering cans, shovels, or trowels. Or cut off their tops to create planters. Make a compost heap with coffee grinds, egg shells, clippings, and more for a homemade, nutrient-rich treat for growing plants. (A trip to the library or an online browse can tell you more about creating compost.) For total involvement, kids can clear their dishes directly into the heap.