The joys of gardening are abundant for both adults and children alike. With container gardening, gardening activities are simplified and affordable for everyone. A great way to combine the fun of gardening with the eco-friendly trend of upcycling is to engage in upcycling container gardening with your kids. This blog explains why upcycling container gardening is an enjoyable experience and how to make the most of it.
1. What is Upcycling Container Gardening?
Upcycling container gardening is a wonderful way to get kids involved in gardening without having to find the perfect outdoor garden spot. And the best part? You can use everyday items to create unique and colourful mini-gardens. Here are just a few of the benefits of upcycling containers for gardening with kids:
- It’s budget friendly. You don’t have to break the bank to get started. Use cardboard boxes, metal cans, paper bags, and other upcycled items to create inexpensive planters.
- It encourages creativity. Use everyday materials to create all sorts of interesting designs, shapes, and sizes for your mini-gardens. Kids can help decorate the containers with paint and other craft materials.
- It teaches responsibility. Upcycling container gardening can help teach kids responsibility. Let them pick out their plant, water it, and watch it grow.
- It promotes environmental awareness. Upcycling helps reduce waste and reuse valuable resources. Kids can learn how to be eco-friendly and help the environment.
So, what are you waiting for? Get your kids involved in upcycling container gardening today!
2. Benefits of Container Gardening with Kids
Container gardening is an interesting way to spend quality time with your kids while teaching them the ins-and-outs of gardening and sustainability. Container gardening is a way of upcycling and a great way to teach your kids to be eco-friendly. Here are some benefits of container gardening:
- Less mess: Container gardening is a great way to introduce your kids to gardening without the mess that comes with traditional gardening. There is no need to dig in the dirt, and you don’t need to worry about weeds taking over your garden.
- Low cost: Container gardening is much more cost effective than traditional gardening. Instead of clearing out a large area and sourcing expensive mulch and fertilizer, you can use upcycled containers and simple soil to start your garden.
- No restraints: With container gardens, you can bring the garden with you wherever you go. This means that if you are moving or going on a vacation, you can take the garden with you. You have no geographical restrictions as to where you plant your garden, meaning that you can experiment with different areas of your home or yard.
- Time to bond with your kids: Container gardening is an excellent way for parents and kids to spend quality time together. While teaching your kids how to garden, you can also reinforce important life skills such as patience and concentration. They will also learn about the biology of plants, ecosystems and the importance of sustainability.
Overall, container gardening is an enjoyable and eco-friendly way to bond with your children. It allows you to teach them important environmental values, as well as nurture their imagination and develop hand-eye coordination.
3. Container Preparation and Planning
Now that you’ve got the kids involved in the upcycling container gardening project, it’s time to prepare and plan. These steps will help you and your kids get started:
- Decide which containers you want to use. If kids are helping, let them pick out containers with a variety of shapes and sizes.
- Choose which plants to use. Choose plants that require minimal maintenance, such as succulents, and that your kids can help take care of. Some edible plants, like tomatoes or lettuces, are easy to take care of and provide a sweet reward!
- Assign tasks. Give each kid a specific task like filling up containers with soil or planting the seeds.
- Plan what steps to take in order. This will help you arrange and coordinate a sequence of events that will ensure the success of your project.
- Create an after-care plan. Talk about the next steps after the container garden is done, such as watering, weeding, and fertilizing the plants in order to help them grow healthy and strong.
4. Plant Selection for a Kids Container Garden
Gardening with kids is a great way to encourage children to love the outdoors. Upcycling containers provides low cost and unique ways for kids to express their creativity. Pick containers of different shapes and sizes and let the kids paint them with their own designs. Once the design is complete, it’s time to choose the plants!
- Herbs. Herbs, like basil, mint, oregano and parsley, are a great choice for kids to get familiar with the art and science of gardening.
- Tomatoes. Tomatoes plants are a solid option for a kid’s garden. They come in dwarf varieties that give full sized results with minimal space.
- Sunflowers. Sunflowers give the most magical rewards with a few of the easiest instructions. Plant the seeds of this American classic in sunny temperatures and watch the tall sunflowers stretch skywards.
- Roses. Don’t underestimate the classic beauty of a rose. Introduce kids to tending and caring for a rose bush, and reap the rewards of the glorious blooms.
Choose from a wide variety of annuals, perennials, succulents and flowering plants. Most of these won’t require too much work – mulch, water and regular pruning. Be sure to include plants that require different amounts of sun and water in order to give kids a variety of experience.
Gardening is a great way for kids to learn more about the world of plants. Sprinkle it with upcycling containers and the enjoyment of a children’s garden is twice as fun!
5. Important Things to consider while Gardening with Kids
Gardening is an incredibly fun activity for kids, especially when it involves upcycling materials around the house. Here are 5 important things to consider when gardening with kids:
- Safety first: Be sure to discuss safety with your little one. Items to be aware of include sharp objects in the garden, poisonous plants, and unfamiliar bugs. Providing gloves and goggles is highly recommended.
- Container size: For smaller hands, larger containers are generally easier to work with. Plastic recycled buckets, salvaged containers, or even clay pots can be used.
- Mix in organic matter: Plants love organic matter when it is mixed in with soil, it helps to create a fertile environment. Compost, manure, and biochar are a few ideas.
- Pick the right plant: A few tips to consider when selecting: make sure it can grow in the region, no weeds, easy to care for and resist drought, and the strongest plants available.
- Let kids lead: Once safety is considered, allow children to make their own decisions. They may surprise you with their creativity and drive. This helps them build self-confidence within their own ability.
Gardening with kids is amazingly enjoyable and teaches them valuable life lessons. Upcycling containers adds an even more exciting element. Have an enjoyable day gardening with the little one!
6. Get Creative with Decorating Containers
Container gardening is a great way for kids to get creative with environment-friendly upcycling. By taking discarded containers, such as water bottles, coffee cans and yogurt tubs, children can craft eye-catching, eco-friendly planters for their favorite plants. With a few simple materials and instructions, they can learn more about the journey of plants.
- Gather Materials – Have your kids collect materials such as scissors, a hot glue gun, paint, chalk markers or stickers. Ask them to look for recycled items that can be used to decorate the containers gracefully.
- Customize Containers – Allow the children to get creative with decorating the container. They can design their planters with various colors, patterns and shapes.
- Add the Soil – Explain to them that plants need soil to grow healthily. Now they can fill their container to the brim with fresh soil and find their favorite plant to place in the pot.
- Let It Grow – Expose your children to the process of growing plants from start to finish. Carefully describe the amount of sun and water that each type of plant requires and encourage them to place their containers in an ideal sunny spot.
By upcycling containers, you and your children can not only get creative but also help the environment. Enjoy the time with your kids as you build, design and finally admire your personalized container garden.
7. Final Thoughts on Upcycling Container Gardening with Kids
One of the best methods of getting kids involved in gardening and enjoying the outdoors is upcycling container gardening. It’s a great way to teach them about sustainability, responsibility, and other green concepts. There are several benefits to teaching and engaging children in container gardening with upcycled materials, and here are a few to consider:
- Cost: Upcycling container gardening can be done without purchasing anything. Most of the materials can be found around the house, such as used plastic containers, old fabric, and old pallets.
- Environmental impact: Upcycling container gardening drastically reduces the environmental impact of conventional gardening as the materials used have already been used and are available for free.
- Creative Thinking: Upcycling container gardening encourages creativity in children as they will have to think of ways to turn everyday objects into a functional garden.
One of the best ways to get kids engaged in gardening is to involve them in the entire process from the beginning, from coming up with ideas and deciding on the materials to use, right through to planting and maintenance. This teaches them the basics of gardening, as well as develops their problem-solving and creative thinking skills. It’s also a great way for kids to bond with nature and learn how to take care of something over time.
Although upcycling container gardening with kids is a great way to teach them about responsibility and environmentalism, it’s important to ensure that the materials are safe and that the project is age-appropriate. It’s also important to monitor their progress and give positive reinforcement when they do a good job. Don’t forget to praise them when something works or when they manage to come up with a clever idea.
This project can be a lot of fun for both you and your kids as it’s going to help you both learn how to turn your waste into something more useful. It’s a great way to be both creative and eco-friendly as well. So why not give upcycling container gardening a go this weekend? It may just inspire your little ones to make a greener future.