Things to do | Family Zone | Gardening with Children

Family Zone

Spring is a Season of New Life and Growth, trees and plants are slowly waking up.

The dainty Snowdrop is a welcome sight and marks the start of the spring flowering bulbs.

This year why not begin a Wildlife and Nature Diary and record the signs of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter as well as any interesting or unusual things that you might see. Don’t just limit your observations to the garden keep looking out for things perhaps if you go out for the day, during a visit to the park, whilst on holiday or even going to school, I am sure that you will spot something. Do not just limit it to the things that you see, listen as well, you may hear animals or birds. You could also get a scrap book or a box where you can put any interesting objects i.e. shells, feathers, fossils, rocks, leaves or seeds.

Why not put a Wildlife Camera in your garden, they can be installed in Bird Boxes and Nest Boxes and would mean that you are able to watch a bird’s life from nest building, egg laying, the eggs hatching, feeding of the young birds and then them fledging and all within the comfort of your home. These small cameras are not just limited to Bird Boxes and Bird Tables you could also put them in Hedgehog Houses, Bat Boxes and Insect Houses. A Bug Board is great new way to view insects, small mammals and reptiles. Place in woodland or a wild area of your garden and once sited the Bug Board will provide a microhabitat beneath it and after only 2 weeks it will be possible to inspect and view any interesting activity. Give it another 8 weeks and the inhabitants will be well established.

Here are some Spring signs that you can be looking out for at the moment: Frogs arriving in the pond and croaking, the first frogspawn, birds singing, birds with nesting materials and building nests, Spring Flowers (Snowdrops, Crocus, Hazel Catkins, Lesser Celandines, Primroses) if you spot anything write down the date as well, then you can compare it with next years diary.

If you are interested in the weather have look at our School Zone for ideas for a Weather Diary.

Don’t forget to enter our Family Competition, just by watching the wildlife from your window you could win some fantastic wildlife goodies so get spotting as the closing date is 29^th February 2012.

There are still plenty of things that you can be doing in the garden at the moment, in between wildlife watching, so take a look at our Gardening Jobs for the New Year.

Gardening Jobs for the New Year

Dec 15, 2011

Well the days are still short and the outdoors can feel pretty chilly but there is still lots be doing in the garden at this time of year...

Gardening Jobs For Autumn

Sep 6, 2011

The best of the Summer sunshine may have gone but autumn in the garden is a busy time. Here are some ideas for things to be getting on with now....

Gardening Jobs For August

Aug 1, 2011

With the harvesting in full swing, watering to do, sowing seeds for the autumn a priority and holidays to fit in too, August is still a busy time in the garden.....

Things to do in the Summer Holidays - Our Activity Ideas

Jul 20, 2011

The summer holidays are a great time to spend some quality time with the children, and to help prevent things from descending into chaos, it's good to have a few activities planned....

Gardening Jobs For July

Jun 29, 2011

July is here and as the veg plot becomes a place of plenty (hopefully!) there has never been a busier time in the garden- read on to find out about the jobs that need doing this month!

Gardening Jobs For May

May 1, 2011

May is one of busiest months in the kitchen gardening year. Seedlings are growing fast and so are the weeds and there are lots of jobs to be getting on with. So if you don't know where to start here are our tips and hints....

Create Your Own Sensory Garden

Apr 12, 2011

Following an enquiry from a day nursery in Weymouth, we have but together some advice for setting up a sensory garden.

Preparing your garden for spring planting

Apr 1, 2011

Prepare your garden for growing seeds, ready for the growing season

Gardening Jobs For March

Mar 5, 2011

As the garden takes on the look of Spring find a little inspiration here before you get started with your Spring gardening projects...

Crop Rotation Using A Raised Bed System - Everything You Need to Know

Jan 20, 2011

Crop rotation is key to the success of any vegetable garden, and here is our essential guide...

A Simple Guide to Pressing Flowers & Leaves

Jun 30, 2010

Pressing flowers and leaves is easy and fun. Follow some simple steps to get the best results, and then enjoy making pictures, cards and bookmarks.....

Gardening Jobs for June

May 19, 2010

Things in the family garden could not be busier. Here are some suggested jobs for June...

Great Ideas for Rainy Days!

Apr 1, 2010

A wet day doesn’t mean that all thoughts of gardening have to stop! Take a look at our indoor activity ideas, play some of our environmental games or have a go at our latest competition ...

Making Delicious Bread With Children

Dec 9, 2009

When my children were small, each week we would go to a play group where the first activity of the morning was to make bread. It was a wonderfully calm, focused and absorbing activity for the children and adults alike, and one of my fondest memories.....

Acitivity Ideas for Brownies

Nov 4, 2009

We have a number of Brownie Groups regularly visiting Gardening With Children and one recently contacted us for information. So over the next few weeks we will be giving lots of great ideas for ways to help the environment and you might be able to win...

Bonfire Night Celebrations - Our Favourite Ideas

Nov 4, 2009

Craft activites, recipes and traditional celebration ideas for Bonfire Night.....

Consider growing your own vegetables

Jan 22, 2009

If you've never grown your own vegtables before or have limited space in your garden, why not consider using a raised bed?