If you like a manicured yard, that’s fine, but if you leave one small corner a little wild, it’ll attract cool creatures like worms, snails, and pillbugs that kids will like to see. Creatures like these enjoy a little cover – so a pile of leaves, a few more weeds than normal, and so fourth encourages visits.

Make sure to go native to attract the wild. If you grow only non-native plants, fewer animals like birds and insects will visit. Native is not only a sustainable way to grow but it’s attractive to local wildlife.

Hang up a DIY recycled tire swing or make a recycled tire sandbox so that kids can get wild and active with play.

Create the sort of garden that actually attracts the wild to your yard. For example, a butterfly garden or place a birdbath and birdhouses around for flying friends.

Make it utterly fun with a wild sunflower playhouse, a pizza garden, bean teepees and more. Kids love an adventure and if you give this to them in your yard, they’ll be more inclined to go outside. See 10 Fun Organic Gardening Projects for Kids for ideas.

[image via stock.xchang]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Although Cedar loves veggies and has done some gardening he lacks a real interest. Last year we were mid-relocation in the spring. For this upcoming spring I’m signing us on at the community garden which is (lucky for me) located right across the street from our new home. I’m hoping that the community garden; where he’ll have his own little areas will instill a better appreciation of gardening and where our food comes from for Cedar.

If you have enough space a garden is a great project for even very small kids. If you have little to no yard space than look into a community garden project in your area.

You can even start a container garden or series of container gardens — course you won’t be growing watermelons in small containers but there are plenty of things you can grown in even one sunny window.

Once you get your hands on a gardening area here are 10 really fun organic plant projects to grow with kids:

1. A sunflower playhouse.
2. Edible flowers like pansies, calendula, marigolds, and nasturtiums; good in salads, brown rice dishes, and more.
3. Hanging strawberries! Keep the slugs out and just plain fun to see.
4. Pumpkins — do I have to say why? They’re big, they’re orange, they roll. Go pumpkins.
5. A butterfly garden.
6. A pizza garden with tomatoes, peppers, onions, basil, oregano, and more — just look out if your little likes pineapple pizza.
7. Carrots; simple easy and even kids who don’t like veggies are impressed by pulling up carrots.
8. Add sparkle to the night with a moonlight garden.
9. Bean teepees and tunnels.
10. A sensory garden; which all gardens are but sometimes kids like things spelled out.

To add to the fun pick up some pint sized gardening tools if your little is especially small.

To learn more about starting an organic garden with your kids visit Organic Gardening.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family