Want to get your littluns off of screens and out in the fresh air? Want to share your love of gardening without them thinking of it as a chore? Well, here are 5 ideas on how to do just that.

Make a pollinator water station with your kids.

Find a wide, shallow dish (I use a terracotta saucer in my garden) and fill it with stones or marbles, then fill it with water, and set it outside. Voila! You now have a pollinator water feeder, perfect for bees and butterflies. The stones provide a safe place for the butterflies to land, so they don’t risk drowning while they drink. If you want, you could put some citrus slices nearby to make it even more attractive to butterflies.

Paint in the garden.

There are all sorts of fun things to do with paint in the garden!

Did birds peck holes in your fruits and vegetables last year?

Paint some decoy rocks with your kids to trick the birds away. Paint your rocks to look like your strawberries, tomatoes, or whatever produce you’re growing, then place them in the garden bed. The birds will soon be disappointed by them, and when your real produce grows, they’ll hopefully leave it alone.

Keep your paints out and grab some terracotta pots. Make some memories with the kids as they paint the pots. You can plant something in them later. The pots will be works of art out in the garden, and the kids will feel more connected to gardening. I still have my pot with my little handprint on it from years ago, and the memory of painting my pot with Papa still makes me smile.

Have a scavenger hunt in the garden

Your kids will have fun playing detective, with each clue leading to the next plant and the next clue, until they find the hidden treasure (perhaps candy).

Two example clues are “What is orange and underground?” (Carrots.) “How did the Ancient Egyptians tell time?” (Sundial)

When the kids find the hidden paper in the carrot patch, the next clue leads them to the garden sundial.

What’s great about this game is how re-playable and customizable it is. You can make the clues as easy or as challenging as your children need. Have fun watching the kids run around the garden, thinking about plants, and looking for hints.

Make birdseed tree ornaments.

Take some cookie cutters out of the cabinet and grab your birdseed (about a cup). Combine and stir one packet of unflavored gelatin with boiling water until dissolved, then mix in birdseed. Press the mixture into greased cookie cutters, poke a hole for a string, and chill in the refrigerator until firm before hanging outside.

Then sit back and watch the birds flock to the ornaments.

Play nature bingo with your kids.

You can make your own nature bingo cards with a pen and paper and some imagination (or you can print out nature bingo cards from your home computer; there are many free ones online). Have the kids sit out in the garden with you and look for ladybugs, green lizards, and whatever else is on your cards. The first to bingo gets a cookie.

Smith County Master Gardeners are volunteer educators certified and coordinated by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Angelise Trent

Smith County Master Gardener