Gardening with Kids and DIY Ladybugs!

Getting your kids involved in your gardening, I think, is one of the best things you can do for them.  Gardening is a tangible lesson in showing that hard work can have great rewards BUT also that sometimes all your hard work will lead to failure. 
 
BUT it is important to try again just like we gardeners do every year.  Adapt, change the plan, but always TRY AGAIN!  Don't give up, you can succeed (and have beautiful peas, next year...)

"Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden."

-Robert Brault

The tricky part about gardening with kids (especially toddlers) though is to try to make it as fun as possible.  If they see it as a chore they will most likely not enjoy it (unless you're super lucky and have kids who like doing chores-do those exist)?  My husband refuses to pick blueberries to this day because when he was a young teenager he picked them on a farm for 50 cents a bucket!  

This is a list of tasks that my 5 year old likes to help with in the garden and we can make fun!

• Picking Rocks-I hate picking rocks, I think most gardeners do.  BUT we can easily turn it into a fun game for toddlers.  Who can pick the most rocks, who can find the biggest rock, who can find the most interesting rock.  Two years ago I had him build walls around the edge of my garden with small rocks and he LOVED that.  
• Planting Seedlings and Seeds- My son loves to dig so having them dig the holes for the plants is a great way to be involved with starting the garden.  In fact keeping a small area in the garden bare is great for especially young children.  While you work on the garden give them a little shovel and let them dig to their hearts content!
• Watering the Garden-Be careful with this one!  Kids love to help water, and water, and water some more and your plants might end up drowned.  Why do kids love water so much?  When my son helps me water I have him use a watering can (never the hose) and I guide him to make sure each plant isn't getting too much.  After this I will often move the garden sprinkler into the yard so he can play in it.  This is another great way for you to get more gardening done while distracting the kiddos.
• Picking Fruits and Vegetables-  When it comes to picking fruit, especially berries, expect more fruit to go in their mouths then the bucket.  I'm okay with this.  Picking can be hard work and I'd rather have them having fun then scarring them for life with picking quotas (like my husband).  If you plant a cherry or grape tomato plant that is also an awesome plant for them to pick because these guys go gang busters when they ripen.  You can pick a sole cherry tomato plant for an hour straight and still not get them all.  Let the littles pick these ones while you deal with other plants!  Be careful when letting little children pick zucchinis, squashes, pumpkins, and cucumbers.  These plants have small prickles on them that can hurt sensitive skin.  I generally pick these and then have my son collect them.  Have them count as they collect!
• Cooking- Especially after we harvest something for the first time we like to get right inside and make something!  When we picked blueberries we made muffins!
  

  

  I also especially love having my son help me with pickles!  After I put the spices in the canning jars I have him jam the sliced cucumbers in!  Cucumber Recipes coming later!  :-)
• DIYing Fun Stuff for the Garden- It's my first year with the perennial gardens so I'm not sure how to include him in with this until I know what I'm doing SO.....we painted some fun rocks for the flower gardens!       

DIY Painted Lady Bugs

Painted rocks are a huge thing this summer!  They are everywhere!  I had to get on board and when I saw these adorable ladybugs on Pinterest I knew we had to make them!  I used a combination of the following two tutorials and adapted them to what I had available.

 Lady Bug Tutorial  

 Lady Bug Tutorial 2

1. Collect your supplies!  All we needed for these was acrylic paint, paint brushes, mod-podge (you could use an acrylic sealer), and of course rocks!
   

   
   

   
   

   

   I love new supplies!

2. Picking rocks was a fun part!  Trying to find lady bug "shaped" rocks and going on a mini-adventure!  Once you gather a bunch of rocks, wash and let dry.

   

   Our rocks!  We also had a little science talk about the different types of rocks while collecting them!

3. Draw a line on the rocks differentiating the body from the head.

   

   Like this.

4. Paint the large section any bright color you would like and the small section black.  Let dry after this step.  Acrylic paints do not take long to dry at all.
   

   
5. Once the paint has dried (20-30 minutes).  Paint a thin line dividing the colored section and add black lady bug spots.
   

   
6. Use white paint and paint two dots on the head section for eyes (some tutorials used glue and googley eyes but I felt like they would fall off after being exposed to the rain and elements).  Once the whites of the eyes have dried (20-30 minutes) add two black dots for pupils.  Let dry.
   

   
7. Mod-Podge!  Coat the entire lady bug in mod-podge and let dry.  This will help protect from the elements and keep the colors bright!
   

   

   
   

   
   

   
   
8. Hide them in the garden! 
   

   

   
   
   

   

If anything they are guaranteed to make you smile every time you see them!

Happy Gardening!