Gardening is a fun activity for kids of all ages. Once the seeds have been planted, the fun doesn’t have to end. There are plenty of other interesting and exciting activities that kids can do in their outdoor space.
One option is to help them create their own private hideaway where they can hang out with their friends and siblings, playing games and sharing laughter. Just make sure to build the hideaway in an out-of-the-way area so that your favorite plants don’t wind up getting trampled.
1. Make A Natural Tepee
Creating a teepee out of living plants growing over a frame of branches can be a lot of fun. All that you have to do is stick flexible branches like willows into the ground in a circular shape. Tie them together at the top to create the overall structure of the teepee. Then, it is simply a matter of planting vines all around the edges of the structure so that they can grow up and cover it the following year.
2. Get Back To Nature
Beautifully manicured formal gardens are great for adults. However, they aren’t a lot of fun for kids. In most cases, children have a lot more fun playing in areas that have been left a little bit wild.
If possible, leave an area of your yard untouched, allowing the trees, shrubs, and grass to grow wild. With their active imaginations, kids will be able to play for hours in this wild space, building forts and playing all kinds of games.
You may even want to provide them with simple materials that they can use to build their own shelter. Just make sure that they are supervised so that they don’t get hurt.
3. Build A Sandbox
Most young children love playing in the sand. There are a variety of different options available when it comes to putting together a sandbox. You can buy a box made of plastic from the store that you then just have to fill with sand. Alternatively, you can build your own out of boards from the local lumber yard or logs that you find on your property.
Just make sure to buy sand that is designed for use in sandboxes. That way, you can be sure that the sand is safe and that it doesn’t contain any potentially toxic ingredients that could harm children, pets, or the surrounding plants.
As long as you cover up the sandbox when it is not being used, you should be able to get a lot of use out of the sand before it needs to be replaced. If it gets wet, you may want to spread the sand out a little bit to dry. Otherwise, you risk having bugs or bacteria take up residence in the sandbox.
4. Plant Wildflowers
Use a wildflower seed mix to create a garden filled with stunning wildflowers. Typically, wildflowers should be planted early in the spring to provide color all summer long. You can also include small shrubs and trees so that the area looks beautiful during the fall and winter as well.
There are countless wildflowers that are extremely easy to grow. Some you may want to try include lavender, poppies, and sedum. Herbs like thyme and mint are also easy to grow and can make your garden smell great. If you have low-quality soil, all hope is not lost. Flowers like red campion and meadow clary do well in challenging growing conditions.
5. Make Your Garden Friendly To Birds And Insects
Most children are fascinated by insects and birds. You can create an insect house easily simply by putting a hollow piece of bamboo into a planter made from terra-cotta. Birdbaths and birdfeeders are also great for drawing wildlife into your backyard. You can attract small creatures such as squirrels and hedgehogs by creating piles of logs where they can find shelter.
Throughout the year, spend time helping your children identify the creatures in your backyard. You may even want to invest in binoculars so that they can see wildlife easily from inside your home.
6. Add Play Equipment
Equipment such as swings, climbing forts, and slides can turn your backyard into a fun and exciting play area for kids.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a fun space for children to play. For instance, you can make an extremely affordable rope swing if you have trees in your yard that are strong enough to support it. You can also install a zip line using a commercially available kit so that kids can have fun zipping across your yard.
7. A Place to Read
Creating an outdoor reading area can be a lovely idea for the garden and can really give children a great area to read and to enjoy learning when outdoors. Add outdoor cushions, a mat to sit on, and maybe some nice quotes for children on a nearby wall or even the side of a shed. It can be a great way to encourage this wonderful gift.
8. Create A Safe Space
When you are designing an outdoor space for children, it is important to keep safety in mind. That means avoiding plants that are potentially poisonous such as taxus, daphne, laburnum, and monkshood. There are many more plants that should be avoided. Be sure to do research online before deciding which plants to add to your garden.
