In celebration of Youth Day on June 16, Life is a Garden is on a mission to get kids dabbing for dirt!
This month is all about enticing little green thumbs to get their nature on by integrating familiar gaming concepts into the world of gardening. We’re talking all about inspiring kids to see gardening as a real-life gaming opportunity, where they select the players, choose their weapons, and use that thirst for adventure to their advantage by creating themed worlds.
Selecting possible players
By this, we mean choosing the best-suited crop for your kid. A visit to your local GCA Garden Centre easily becomes an exciting morning outing when the kids get to select the players for their gardening game-play. Here’s a list of a few worthy contenders, which are relatively easy to grow and fun to harvest:
Namaqualand daisies (Dimorphotheca sinuata): This colourful and quirky sun lover attracts butterflies and bees, and flowers during autumn, winter, and early spring-time.
Iceland poppies (Papaver naudicaule): A wow factor flora that is available in many shades and bicoloured varieties, easy to grow in full sun, flowers in winter and spring, makes for a great cut flower.
Wild mint (Mentha longifolia): Smells amazing and has many uses, a fast grower in semi-shade or full sun, the more you harvest, the more they grow!
Sugar snap peas (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon): And easy, great tasting vegetable for winter growing in full sun. It’s frost hardy, likes to climb and loves to be picked.
Creating a world of wonder
Give your child some gardening tools and it’s time to create their world! Encourage them to think about a theme for their gardening adventure. Give them a large pot or a designated area in the garden. Invite their imaginations to run wild at the possibility of a zombie, troll, mermaid, or fairy garden! Once you’ve planted your seeds, it’s all about patience. While you wait, start a growing chart with your child to document the growth of their game players. Whether they are into fantasy or fighting, racing or resurrection, bringing the virtual world of gaming into real-life gardening can be an exciting and engaging project for every child. Not only will it get them outdoors and promote a healthy lifestyle, but it also offers opportunities for quality time, sharing of knowledge, and a whole new appreciation for the many wonders of Mother Nature!
Visit www.lifeisagarden.co.za for more ideas.