As we fast approach the summer holidays we can enjoy many weeks of entertainment with our children. As a family we enjoy lots of days out but this can be rather expensive. So when the sun is shining brightly and you have a day at home planned there are lots of fun things your children can enjoy doing in your garden. Here are some ideas for fun in the garden: Go on a bug hunt. Make up a list of bugs to be found in the garden and get the children to check them off as they find them. Have a picnic in the garden. Nothing beats eating outdoors when the weather is great. For younger ones you could have a teddy bears picnic. Get the paddling pool out. Get them to help with the weeding and watering of the plants. Run through the sprinklers. Set up a mini obstacle course. After watching Ninja Warrior this year our boys have been inspired. Get out the play tent and let them enter a magical world of imagination. We mentioned bugs earlier. Create a bug hotel to encourage wildlife. A game of football. Our eldest boy is football crazy now and would happily play all day every day if he could. Pick and press some flowers from the garden. Pick some flowers to make some perfume. I remember doing this myself as a child and the results weren’t great but it was lots of fun. Get out the dress up clothes and put on a play. If you have a sandpit have a sandcastle competition. A good game of hide and seek. We also like to hide a teddy in the garden and search for that too. A water fight. Arts and crafts in the garden. Good as it saves on mess indoors! Grab a chair and a good book and settle down. Make mud pies. Draw on the outside walls with some chalk. Then give the children a sponge and water to clear it off at the end of the day. Move some of the indoor toys outside for the day. A train track can be set up to go through the trees, tunnels can be built. A game of skittles. Bubbles. Mini sports day in the garden. Trampolining to burn off some of their energy. My boys love to watch their cars racing down their slide to see which one travels furthest. Create a fairy garden in a container. A game of Bulldog or IT. These are just a few ideas. I imagine the list could go on and on and you have some ideas of your own too. Have lots of fun this summer!!
Going on holiday. Tips for your garden before you go.
As our thoughts turn to our summer holiday before you leave on your journey some tips for your garden before you go. Mow the lawn as you normally do, ideally the day before you go on holiday, so it has as little time as possible to grow whilst you are away. Don’t be tempted to cut your grass really short as if it is too short and the weather is hot it could cause your grass to turn yellow and the soil to dry out. Weed all your bed and pots and baskets. This will help to prevent you coming back to a big jungle. Deadhead all your flowers to encourage new growth whilst you are away. Move pots into the shade if possible If you can get someone to come round to give your garden a water whilst you are away that would be great. Cover up any garden furniture to prevent sun bleaching or rust in case it rains. Then finish the last of your packing, sit back, and relax and enjoy your holiday.
