Kids in the garden

[Jenny Green]

Does anyone have any tips on what to do with toddlers in the garden? My little one is now approaching 2 1/2 so he's going to be my little companion for the next few years at least.
However, I need suggestions for little jobs to keep him occupied, as he can't 'help' with quite a few things I do. If I can't occupy him he either starts whining for attention or borrows a trowel and redistributes the beds over the paths while merrily repeating "There you go!" as he flings the soil around.
All ideas gratefully received.

[Chantal]

Tie them to the fence or build a playpen would be my recommendation! I had a child on my allotment a couple of years ago who dug a very large hole and then filled it in. As the soil was very loose when I stepped in it I went down about a foot and nearly broke my leg. I hurt myself quite badly and then spent the next few weeks walking on eggshells looking for more booby traps. It's my opinion that children and allotments/gardens don't mix until they do as they're told, but hey I don't have children and don't like them much (please don't all shout at me) so I'm biased.

[Deb P]

We have a small neglected bit at the very back of our garden that we laughingly call 'the forest': some old trees planting on a mound which I suspect was made many years ago with building rubble from the house.
I had great plans for it, but then realised my kids, (then toddlers) were happiest given a trowel, digging for 'treasure' there (old bricks, stones etc). I told them that was their bit of the garden, they could do what they liked with it.We put up a mouldy old scout tent as a 'hide' which they covered in branches and sat in for hours, so I could get on with gardening (joy). If they dug holes there it didn't matter, they draped blankets over the trees to make other tents and hides, and just enjoyed getting filthy, which is a lesson in itself in these sanitised times. My husband has made expensive garden forts and treehouses for his clients children, which end up hardly used; our kids have their forest bit which they use constantly, even in winter, bird and bat boxes are one of their latest additions.
Now they are a bit older, they have started planting things, most are totally unsuitable and die from neglect, but it has them interested in gardening, and my eight year old spent most of yesterday banging bit of wood together to make another 'structure' for his forest while I sorted out the greenhouse!

[lizzie]

Give the little ones there own gardening equipment, which is fairly cheap to buy, a little bit of the lottie to call there own and let them dig. The could have a mini beast hunt etc. Kids are happy getting filthy so i'd leave them to get on with it.

[lizzie]

Sorry, forgot to post this.

http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~tpl/allotmentkids.html

See if it gives you any more ideas as my kids are 16 and 10 now so have lost touch really with the littler ones.

[Guest]

sandpit

i had one when i was little, which was great

[Carole B.]

Sandpit+hose+old tin bath=happy small person!

[The Grock in the Frock]

i have two of the little horrors.if locking them in the shed dosn't work i send them over to the old tarts plot,she actually seems to like them,but i dont think she could eat a whole one.really though they like to dig and find mr wiggly worm which keeps them quiet for hours,failing that they enjoy the paddling pool if the weather is hot enough.i also got them mini gardening stuff from asda,filling the wheel barrow with alsorts of horrors and then taking them for walks around the plot is great.try growing easy stuff like tomatoes and putting a small box shape around the baby tomatoe ,hence square toms,kids luv em. also your child wont be a baby for long so just enjoy it while its little,it could be our next Monti Don.what do ye recon Johnboy!

[lizzie]

They're too big to fit on the barbi.

You can always set a little competition. The one who picks the most of whatever gets a prize.

Amazing how fast little fingers can strip beans from the plants!!!!

[pigletwillie]

Kids arent particularly my thing, but by all accounts if you give them half a "Mogadon" they are quiet all afternoon until you revive them with a cold wet sponge .


Piglet

[The Grock in the Frock]

shame on u and when are you gonna answer my question?iv'e been waiting with anticipation. seems there might be more than just little old me.ay Earthstar

[nog]

I prefer Calpol works great.

[The Grock in the Frock]

just found your pm. your such a naughty piglet ,but i like you

[richard p]

first is a lock on the shed door, otherwise the tools dissapeer, when slightly older mow the lawn without the grass collecter and pay pennies for buckets of lawn mowings delivered to the compost heap, will keep the mercenary little b's ammused for hours,

[jane E2]

Enjoy him while you've got him. They go to school all too soon -MUCH too soon. They're great company because they keep up a running dialogue.Show him what you're doing. Let him have his own wild area, but because he's only one, he'll want you as his friend, and you'll have to take part in a lot of what he's doing. Accept that and try to garden when he's not around - in bed or minded by someone else - as well as with him because you'll go more slowly with him there.Be very safety conscious - fork stuck firmly in ground, rake so that it won't spring at him, anything sharp or harmful high up or locked away.Then you won't always be saying 'don't'.Mine are in their 20's now but the gardening has stuck with them in different ways. The youngest is a pond fanatic; the girls like flower gardening and one of the other boys is a chef and interested in all things edible.I gardened with them round me and at one stage had 4 at home and none yet at school. That stage only happens once and is over very quickly - have fun.