Garden activities are exciting and engaging ways to keep children busy after school. It is a calming and grounding way to let children explore nature, hear, feel, smell, and see nature after a busy school day.
Nature is also a great place to experiment with outdoor learning experiences, giving children an opportunity to learn something in a different setting while still having fun.
Here are some fun ways to get the kids outdoors and inspired after school:
Flower picking
It is summer, and the best summer flowers are blooming and adorning our home gardens, parks, and local flower gardens and flower shops. Pick flowers with your little one in your own home garden. Or visit a flower shop, café, or garden with your little one.
This is an opportunity for younger children to learn more about colours, plants, and flowers. If they are older it can be enlightening to learn about their interests in nature, plants, and flowers.
Making unique bouquets
Take a walk in your luscious home garden pick some beautiful flowers and make your own bouquets with your little one. Or visit a local garden or flower shop. Visit their website as some flower shops and cafés have bouquet-making sessions.
Planting flowers and veggies
Plant flowers and veggies in your garden with your children. This is a wonderful exercise as they experience the process of planting, sprouting, and blooming. This activity brings the children closer to nature.
Painting in the garden
Let nature inspire the children. Make a painting station in your garden where your child can be inspired by nature. The paint station can be an outdoor creative outlet in the garden with, paint brushes, pencils, colours, and some paper to paint on.
Flower pressing
After picking flowers, some can be dried and thereafter pressed onto letters and candles. Flower pressing is an intimate and creative activity that enhances children’s creative abilities.
Building a garden play space/playhouse
A playhouse in the garden can cultivate an appreciation and care for nature. Children love to play outdoors as they explore different textures of the garden space surrounding their play space. Building a garden playhouse for your children merges nature and play.
Compiled by: Thimna Matika
First published by Garden & Home
