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National Children’s Gardening Week (29 May – 6 June) is coming up fast, and it’s the perfect time to get youngsters into the garden to discover what they can grow.
More than ever the last year has been a time for kids to do their learning, playing and relaxing at home, and more families than ever have enjoyed gardening together. While this year we’ve not yet seen much of the sunshine of last year, there’s still loads to discover, do and grow in the garden.
The giveaway
To help you get your little ones get growing this National Children’s Gardening Week, we've teamed up with the UK’s best and brightest organic childrenswear company Toby Tiger to bring you £150 worth of gardening goodies! We have a bundle of tools from our Budding Gardeners children’s range to give away (spade, digging fork, trowel, hand fork and Dotty ladybird kneeler), plus a £40 Toby Tiger voucher, plus a Birds Bees and Butterflies gift box from Kabloom.
Founded in 1998, Toby Tiger prides itself on quality organic clothing for babies and kids from 0-3 months up to 6 years. Bursting with vibrant colours and playful patterns — we love the Mini Beasts collection, ideal for budding gardeners! Toby Tiger clothes are also GOTS-certified, organic clothing that's kind to skin and the planet. Discover the full range online here.
And Kabloom makes it easy and fun for kids to grow, with easy-to-plant Seedboms packed with flower power! This bumper bundle includes everything you need to get them outside and gardening.
The kids’ gardening project: growing mint
To get them started in the garden, here’s an easy gardening project from Toby Tiger to try this National Children’s Gardening Week. Starting growing things from seed can be slow going for children, but making lots of plants from one starter plant gives quick results – which can then be eaten!
Herbs are a great way to appeal to kids when it comes to growing and nurturing life in the garden. Start off with mint, and you can all enjoy the results with homemade lemonade, added to an ice-cream treat or sprinkled on top of strawberries.
You’ll need:
- Peat-free compost
- Plant pot
- Mint plant
- Recycled plastic bag
- Elastic band/hair bobble
- Add compost to the pot, leaving an inch at the top. Make small holes around the edge of the container using a pencil.
- Cut 4 or 5 stems of your mint, removing the leaves at the bottom (save them for cooking!) and add them to the holes.
- Give it a good water, cover with the bag and fix in place using the band/bobble.
- Place your pot somewhere warm and light – let your little ones choose a good spot – and keep the soil nice and moist.
- Once the mint has established, you can remove the plastic bag and enjoy your mint!
This project is great for small-space gardeners on patios, balconies and window boxes. Mint can be a bit of a thug in the garden, taking over and crowding out its neighbours. Keeping it in a pot will keep the kids entertained without introducing it to your garden.
Your child will be delighted they’ve helped to grow food. You can try it with veg and fruits – particularly if they can be a bit picky with their food. Take a look at our recent post on growing a can of tomatoes, for example. It may encourage them to try and enjoy new healthy foods if they're in charge of growing it!
The National Children's Gardening Week website also has lots of ideas and resources, so you're bound to find an activity or project your youngsters will enjoy.
Have fun in the garden this National Children’s Gardening Week, and good luck in our giveaway!
