Call Of The Child: The Ideal Garden For Kids
By Features Desk
Saturday, October 14, 2017.
As any parent knows keeping the kids amused and out from under your feet is something that is pretty important, especially in holiday times. That means you have to have a garden that is less of a wilderness and more of a place that looks great, is kid friendly and is safe as well. So to find out how to do this read on for some sound advice.
Child safe planting
Of course, any garden worth its salt will contain beautiful plants and flowers to make it bright and appealing. However, where many families go wrong is that they don't understand that some flora just isn't safe to have around when there are kids about.
In particular Azaleas and Checkered Lilies look gorgeous but can be incredibly toxic causing vomiting and diarrhea and even death. Something that makes them definitely on the no list of flowers you shouldn't plant for a kid-friendly garden.
Make it fun
For it to truly kid-friendly, the garden needs to have lots of fun element and opportunities for play. One effective way to do this is to include a climbing frame, slide or swing in one part of the garden. You can choose to buy pre-made items, or it is possible to DIY these, although it's vital that you check their safety regularly, and use rubber playground surfacing to cushion the area around where they are installed. This will help avoid injury, just in case, anyone doe takes a tumble while they are playing.
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Other fun additions to a garden include a sandpit, perfect for learning about building and volume. Alternatively, why not try a trampoline? Something that can be the ideal solutions for the kids to work off some of that excess energy they often have during the holiday period. Just be sure that it fixed firmly to the ground, and that you have netting around the outside to stop the kids falling off if they get a little overzealous in their bouncing.
Encourage the kids to get involved
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Next, a kid-friendly garden should include space for growing vegetables. This is vital as the little ones get to learn first hand about where healthy food comes from, as well as how to tend and nurture plants. It also gives them the opportunity to get more involved in the cooking process, as what child wouldn't want to cook the vegetables that they have grown themselves?
Delineate the different areas
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Lastly, for a kid-friendly garden, it can help to delineate the areas and their uses clearly. With one place for play, one for vegetables, one for dining, and one for cooking. This not only helps the little one be more mindful of safety, as they will know not to run in the cooking area, but it can also work well for mom and dad as well. After all, you will probably want at least a small corner of the garden reserved for you guys to just relax in, that isn't covered in toys, no matter how kid-friendly the Space is.