Back-to-school season means new curriculum, school supplies and afterschool activities, but it doesn’t have to mean giving up quality time with your kids. Teaming up on simple home & lawn care projects like gardening can be a fun way to stay connected as summer comes to an end.
Here are a few garden projects that can help bring your family together this school year:
1. Plant a Snake Plant in a Study Spot
Studies show spending time near plants and greenery can lead to improved concentration and mood and reduce stress. Snake plants thrive in indirect light and need little watering, making them a low-maintenance plant, fit for shaded rooms.
Take a trip to your local garden center to pick your own and use it as a therapeutic outlet for your children’s study space. Repotting a snake plant together will help instill shared ownership of the plant they can care for on a weekly basis during homework time.
Plus, the snake plant can help your children harness focus or take a brain break during those long evenings throughout the year.
2. Grow Healthy Ingredients at Home for School Lunches
August is the perfect time to plant and harvest a variety of homegrown vegetables. Vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, carrots and radishes not only thrive during this growing season but also double as recipe ingredients and snacks for healthy school lunches.
Have your kids pick out their favorite vegetables and read the seed packets together to determine how long each needs to grow. Don’t forget to count backward from your region’s first frost date to allow enough time to grow and enjoy before the cold weather hits.
Don’t forget to use The AND Approach to keep your veggie garden weed- and pest-free throughout the fall season.
3. Teach your Kids How to Nurture their Own Garden Pots
Herbs are a great project for kids. They can be grown indoors in a sunny windowsill and require minimal care with weekly watering and pruning. Make sure your kids have a hand in choosing which herbs they want to grow, so they can be a part of the planting and care from the beginning.
Herbs such as chamomile and mint can be harvested every week to two weeks and add flavor to bedtime tea, helping to wind down after a busy school day.
