April is the perfect time to take walks with your children and look at the beautiful new flowers that are blooming like crocus, daffodils and tulips. It gets you out of the house and gives you and your children something fun and inexpensive to do.
Have your child draw a picture of the flower. Better yet, if the flowers are yours, have her take a petal and press it in her nature journal. Can you imagine the memories and delight 25 years later when she shows this petal and drawing to her own child!
Photo by Deanna Frautschi
Learn About How Flowers Grow
Talk to your child about color, shape and size of different flowers. What birds and butterflies come to flowers? How do they help pollinate flowers? Talk to your child about the germination process. What did it take to grow this flower as tall and sturdy as it is today? There are many good books and online resources to help you with your discussion. You can also take field trips to other gardens and nature centers.
When you are at home, help your child plant a seed or a bulb and watch it grow. Your child will see before his eyes how the plant grows and what it needs – soil, water, light, fertilizer – to continue to grow. If practical, take the seedling outside and transplant it.
Try Growing Vegetables Too
Flowers are perfect for children to grow outside. Since children like to play in the dirt, a vegetable garden is a good choice too. Carrots, peas, zucchini and broccoli are good choices. Help them till the soil and plant seeds at the right depth.
Have your children mark the garden area where they planted their seeds with small signs that say what it is and when they planted it. Have them help care for the plants as they grow. Let them help harvest the vegetables. Don’t forget to praise their efforts and let everyone know they helped grow these. If you live in an apartment, an indoor herb garden can be a good substitute for outdoor vegetable planting.
Keep a calendar of what you plant and when you planted it. For each week, mark what care the plant needs – water , fertilizer, weeding, etc. This will help your child understand the care involved with growing flowers and vegetables.
You may want to invest in children’s tools like a spade, hoe and gloves that are the right size for your child. Or, use spoons and forks to cultivate a small area and let them wear old gloves.
So stop and smell the flowers and help your children plant some too. They will be learning what it takes for something beautiful or edible to grow. Help them start developing a life long appreciation for flowers and gardening.
Karyss and Kendal enjoying the daffodils in their garden. Photo taken by their mother, Shelli Opsal.
Deanna Frautschi is a local Master Naturalist who is passionate about connecting families with nature. If you have any questions about teaching your child about flowers and gardening, you may contact Deanna at Decardinal@aol.com. Catch a glimpse of Deanna's wildlife photography on facebook too!
