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happymumma 
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Joined: 06 June 2007
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 Topic: Toddlers and gardening
Posted: 19 October 2010 at 12:44pm |
DS loves 'helping' in the garden. The only problem is that his idea of helping is removing soil from around plants. I've tried to explain in a way he'll understand but I haven't given him a good alternative so need some ideas please. Part of the problem is that the piece of land he can play on at the moment is concreted with lots of tubs of plants. There is no sandpit so there isn't a dedicated child space for him to garden or dig in. Any good ideas??
He does love picking and trying edible things which I am wanting to encourage.
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mummy_becks
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Joined: 01 January 1900
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Posted: 19 October 2010 at 1:45pm |
Can you give him a pot with plants in it to do as he pleases? My 6 year olf has a pot with cherry tomatoes and my 3 year old has a pot with lettuces in it.
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I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived!
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whitewave
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Posted: 19 October 2010 at 9:49pm |
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A pot for his own plants is a really good idea.
You could also maybe get one of those plastic clam shell sand pits for him, and he can dig away to his heart's content!
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Emmecat
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Posted: 21 October 2010 at 7:40am |
Great ideas so far! My 17 month old also likes to 'help' me in the garden...for Christmas I have got her her own little canvas bag with 3 kiddy size gardening tools. I will point her to an area where she can 'help' (ie where I havn't planted lol) and hopefully she'll be keen.
We're also planting out things that are easy for little ones to pick, like cherry tomatoes, snow peas and beans. It's inevitable I guess that some stuff is gonna get a bit destroyed but I just think, meh, in the long term I'd rather the babies grow up around fresh food and gardening and that they will learn to respect it all in time and be knowledgable about how to treat different areas in the garden iykwim? I'm just hoping it doesn't take toooooooo long hehe 
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_SMS_
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Posted: 21 October 2010 at 7:18pm |
We have also got dd some garden tools for Christmas. She loves helping too. Well her helping is actually eating anything she can get her hands on lol.
Giving him a pot with soil, getting him to plant his own plant and giving him something to water it with could keep him busy
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SquishysMum
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Posted: 29 October 2010 at 9:16pm |
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We have the garden tools here too, although DD is more into building at the moment (we've been building outdoor furniture). She and my care-kids love watering the garden and pots, particularly when the hose is involved!!! They are also pretty handy with a watering can, the older one (2.5yo) plants seeds (big ones like peas/beans/sunflowers) and tells me all about how they will grow.
RE digging next to plants... no idea, other than give him his own pot (which sounds cool). He could even decorate it before planting something so he knows which is his.
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mummy_becks
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Posted: 03 November 2010 at 5:59pm |
I have topped up Josh's pot with another 2 lettuces so he is back to 4. Andrew's 4 cherry tomatoes are growing well in the greenhouse.
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I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived!
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Toddlers and gardening
