Gardening ideas for spring

Oh spring is exciting – buds and blossoms, warmth, light and gardening! It’s around about now that many of us will start thinking about sowing seeds and there’s no doubt that our children will be more than happy to help.

Montessori’s “hands on” learning approach is beautifully suited to this time of year, and there are many ways that we can prepare the environment for our children to provide a rich (and fun!) learning experience.

Here are some ideas:

Star with seeds. The royal Horticultural Society suggests sowing seeds outdoors for beetroot, carrots, Swiss chard, summer cauliflower, kohl rabi, lettuce, leeks, radish, turnip, spring and pickling onions, peas and perpetual spinach in well-prepared soil. Indoor seeds include marrows, courgettes, pumpkins and squash. Also, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, celery, celeriac, salads and globe artichokes. Visit rhs.co.uk for planting advice!

Another fun way to plant is to wrap seeds up in wet paper towels, and seal them up in zip lock bags. Then leave the seeds in a dark place for a few days. When you check on them, you’ll see they have sprouted. Children will revel in the anticipation and what a great way to see growth from the very beginning.

Give your little ones their own planting space. This could be a small piece of garden or plant boxes. Show them how to plant and tend their garden (digging beds, watering), and then leave them to get on with it.

Make sure your children have the right tools at their disposal. Good quality, child-sized gardening equipment is a worthwhile investment – spade, shovel, rake, watering can, gloves etc. These tools should be accessible, neatly stored, cleaned after use and neatly packed away when not in use.

Finally, a really nice way to consolidate all this wonderful outdoor activity is through a garden journal in which your child can record (through drawing or writing) how the plants grow. Books and art are also great ways to support gardening and outdoor adventuring.