Kid-Friendly Gardening: Growing a Love for Nature with Native Pollinator Plants 🌼🐝
Gardening with kids is more than just a fun outdoor activity—it's a hands-on way to teach them about nature, science, and the importance of our environment. One of the most exciting ways to introduce children to gardening is by focusing on native pollinator plants. These plants provide food and habitat for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, making your garden a lively, buzzing classroom!
Why Choose Native Pollinator Plants?
Native plants are species that have evolved in a particular area over thousands of years. They are perfectly adapted to the local climate, soil, and wildlife, making them easier to grow and maintain. Plus, they attract native pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, turning your garden into a haven of activity that kids will love to explore!
Getting Started: Simple Steps for Kid-Friendly Gardening
Choose the Right Plants Start by selecting native plants that are easy to grow, colorful, and have interesting textures or scents that will capture kids’ attention. Here are a few great choices for kid-friendly native pollinator plants in Vancouver, WA:
Douglas Aster: A hardy perennial with bright purple flowers that attract butterflies.
Oregon Sunshine: A sunny yellow flower that is drought-resistant and a favorite of bees.
Showy Milkweed: With its pink clusters of flowers, it’s perfect for teaching kids about the life cycle of monarch butterflies.
Tall Oregon Grape: A shrub with holly-like leaves and bright yellow flowers, great for creating a mini forest.
Red Flowering Currant: Early spring blooms that provide nectar for hummingbirds.
Create a Garden Space Just for Them Dedicate a small section of the garden for your child’s planting adventures. Let them decide where to place their plants, and allow them to experiment with different layouts. This gives them a sense of ownership and pride in their little patch of land.
Let Them Play with Seeds Kids love to plant seeds! Start with larger seeds that are easy to handle, like sunflower or nasturtium seeds, and show them how to plant native wildflower seeds such as Douglas Meadowfoam or Globe Gilia. Explain how these plants will grow into beautiful flowers that feed the bees and butterflies.
Make It a Sensory Experience Kids engage with their senses, so choose plants that appeal to them:
Sight: Brightly colored flowers like Oregon Sunshine or Riverbank Lupine.
Smell: Fragrant plants like Mockorange or Self Heal.
Touch: Soft, fuzzy leaves of plants like Lamb’s Ears or the smooth, leathery feel of Evergreen Huckleberry leaves.
Taste: Show them edible flowers like violets or introduce them to herbs like mint, which are also pollinator-friendly!
Create Fun Activities Make gardening a fun experience by incorporating games and activities:
Pollinator Hunt: Teach them to identify different pollinators visiting the garden—bees, butterflies, hummingbirds—and keep a journal of what they see.
Plant Art: Collect fallen leaves, flowers, and twigs to create garden-themed art projects.
Build a Bee Bath: Use a shallow dish, fill it with water, and add pebbles for the bees to rest on while drinking.
Teach Responsibility with Garden Care Assign age-appropriate tasks like watering plants, pulling weeds, or picking flowers for bouquets. Kids will learn responsibility and the importance of nurturing living things.
Tips for Keeping it Kid-Friendly
Keep It Short and Sweet: Kids have short attention spans, so keep gardening sessions brief and fun. Focus on one activity at a time.
Encourage Curiosity: Answer their questions, even the wacky ones, and encourage them to explore and learn about the different plants and insects they see.
Celebrate Every Success: Whether it's a tiny sprout or the first visit from a butterfly, celebrate every milestone with enthusiasm. Make them feel proud of their efforts!
Why This Matters: Building a Connection to Nature
Gardening with kids, especially with native pollinator plants, is about more than just growing flowers. It's about fostering a deep connection to nature, teaching them about sustainability, and instilling a love for the environment from a young age. It’s an opportunity to teach them that even small actions—like planting a flower—can have a big impact on the world around them.
Kid-Friendly Citizen Science: Exploring Birds with NestWatch and FeederWatch
Engaging kids in nature is a wonderful way to spark curiosity and foster a love for the outdoors. Two fantastic citizen science projects—NestWatch and FeederWatch—are perfect for young bird enthusiasts! Both programs offer fun, easy ways for kids to contribute to scientific research while learning about birds right in their own backyards.
NestWatch: Keeping an Eye on Bird Nests
NestWatch, a project by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, invites families to monitor bird nests during breeding season. Kids can learn to identify different bird species, observe nest-building activities, and track the progress of eggs and hatchlings. Not only does this project teach patience and careful observation, but it also helps scientists understand bird breeding habits and how they are impacted by environmental changes. To get started, all you need is a nearby bird nest, a notebook, and a pair of binoculars!
FeederWatch: Birdwatching from Your Window
Project FeederWatch, another initiative by the Cornell Lab, allows kids to count and identify birds visiting feeders during the winter months. This project is perfect for those chilly days when outdoor adventures are limited. Kids can participate from the comfort of their home by setting up a bird feeder and watching who stops by! FeederWatch provides guides and resources to help with bird identification, and kids can record their observations and share them online, contributing valuable data to bird population studies.
Why Citizen Science?
Both NestWatch and FeederWatch help kids build observation skills, learn about bird behavior, and understand the importance of biodiversity. These projects make science accessible and exciting for children, providing them with the opportunity to become real-life scientists!
By engaging with these kid-friendly citizen science projects, children not only learn valuable skills but also play a role in protecting and understanding bird populations. So, grab your binoculars, set up a bird feeder, and get ready to watch and learn! Don’t forget to check out our blog posts on Bumble Bee Watch and The Great Sunflower Project which are also great ways to get kids to engage in the outdoors.
Ready, Set, Garden!
There’s no better time than now to grab some gloves, some seeds, and a watering can, and start a gardening adventure with your kids. Remember, gardening isn’t just about plants—it's about growing curiosity, responsibility, and a lifelong appreciation for nature.
Happy planting! 🌸🌿
This blog post can help parents, teachers, and caregivers understand the benefits of gardening with children, especially when using native pollinator plants. By making the experience educational, fun, and sensory-rich, kids can develop a strong connection to the natural world and learn about the importance of protecting our local ecosystems.
