Entertain The Kids In Your Garden This Summer
Two weeks of summer holidays have flown (or, for some, crept) by. I don’t know about you, but my kids haven’t started their symphony of “I’m Bored’ just yet, and I’m fighting desperately to avoid the first note. With three kids of varying ages, finding something to go out and do isn’t always easy, and I don’t want to have to re-mortgage my home just to entertain them. Coming up with activities that don’t break the bank and encourage my children off their tablets and into the wide world can be challenging to say the least. Still, I’ve done some research and come up with some brilliant ideas for activities in your garden this summer!
Create a time capsule
A time capsule is a brilliant idea and a way to get kids of all ages involved. Decide whether you want to bury a capsule your family will dig up in a year or two or whether you’ll leave it to be perhaps discovered in decades to come.
Adults can be responsible for finding a water and weather-resistant container and some bags to wrap anything in. Give each child the tasks of collecting items they would want to put in a time capsule – things they either want to rediscover in a couple of years or items for the future inhabitants of their home or town. Consider photos of your family, the street you live on, newspaper cuttings, or maybe a list of the prices of your everyday shopping items like milk, bread, juice and the current petrol prices. If you plan on reopening the capsule yourself, why not consider some predictions for your family.
Snail Race
Grab some chalk or twigs and make a little track for a couple of shelled racers. Find them in shady, damp areas in your garden. Your little ones can stick a sticker on the shell, so they don’t get mixed up during the race, but teach them how important it is to take the stickers off before the competitors return home.
Water Painting
One of my favourites, especially on a hot day, is water painting. Give them a bucket and brush, and challenge your children to draw a specific design before the sun dries it up and it disappears forever!
Press Flowers
Head to the garden and pick a selection of flowers. If you don’t have enough at home, remember you can just go for a bit of a walk and find lots around you. Flat-headed flowers are the easiest ones to press, and you should do this as soon as you can after they’re picked. National History Museum recommends placing flowers between sheets of newspapers and then inside of a book. Use some heavy books on top to help flatten the flowers, and then make sure you keep everything in a warm place to dry out. Check them every day; once they’re dry, you can use them for many projects such as card making.
Mini Olympics
Grab an egg and spoon, create a space to do the long jump, or have a dance-off. The challenges you can choose are pretty endless! Each family member can choose a different country – (this could be a chance to get some hidden education in and learn a bit about somewhere new!). You could even have an awards ceremony at the end; make some flower crowns or trophies, and use chairs to create a podium for the winners!
There are endless options for garden fun; perhaps let your children create their own mini garden in a large flower pot and seeds they choose themselves! Whatever you decide to do, the most important thing is having fun and creating loving memories with your family!
