Many kids love to garden. Not only do they enjoy it, but they can be pretty good at it too. My own children do most of the gardening at our house. They prefer it that way. Here's some great tips and resources for gardening with kids.
Invest in a Good Wheelbarrow Not only will kids enjoy pushing around the wheelbarrow, but generally, the natural soil isn’t good enough to plant in. This means that the kids will need to transport different types of soil. A wheelbarrow is the easiest and most fun way for kids to do this. Use Colorful Plants Kids love bright colors. Choose plants with a variety of colors, rather than selecting only one or two colors. This will make the gardening more fun for the kids. Choose Simple to Grow Plants Not all plants are easy to grow. Kids get excited to see their gardening results. Choosing plants that are simple to grow will help increase the odds of favorable results. Choose Native Plants This goes along with the last point. By selecting plants that are native to your area, this can make the plants easier for kids to grow. Create a Maintenance Schedule Creating a schedule of when to feed and water plants can help kids keep track of what needs to be done in the garden. I suggest hanging it near their chore chart if they have one. Did You Know You Can Teach Your Kids While Preparing to Move? Moving with kids can be a real chore, both physically and mentally. But did you know you can also use it to teach them lessons? Many aspects of moving are educational, as I've learned by moving with my kids several times over the years. Just sorting and packing offers many learning opportunities.
Packing to move teaches organizational skills. What better way for kids to learn organization than by actually doing it? Kids will learn how to organize in several different ways with packing. They can learn to reduce clutter by getting rid of unnecessary items. They'll also learn how to put away items both neatly and gently, depending on what's in the box, how breakable it is, what room it goes in, and more. Teach kids to give by donating unwanted and unneeded items. There will likely be many items you do not wish to move into your new home. But don't just throw it all away. There are many people who can use even the simplest of items. Have the kids help in sorting and donating these items to the less fortunate. This teaches them compassion, as well as green living skills. Reducing and reusing is always better for the environment than needless waste. Capacity lessons come from packing, weighing, and measuring. Have the kids weigh, measure, and pack items to learn about capacity. How much weight can fit into each box. If certain items weigh a particular amount, how many of them will fit in the box, based on both weight and size. These are all great hands-on lessons to accent what the kids know or will learn in future math lessons. Sorting and packing items helps teach value to kids. By determining which items to pack, which to give away, and which are non-salvageable, kids learn value in more than one way. They learn what things mean the most to themselves and to others. They also learn that when you mistreat things, no one can use them. Fun memories can arise and be created through sorting and packing. The action of packing and sorting may trigger memories related to the items or to past moves. It creates great conversation fodder and it can also be nice to reflect on those things together. Kids also are likely to enjoy the action of sorting and packing and dream of what it will be like in the new place. This in itself creates some great memories. Plus, it's just fun! What kid doesn't like playing with boxes?
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
"I can't find my shoe!" "I want my red skirt!" Organizing a kid's bedroom with him in mind helps prevent these and similar scenarios. Offer space-saving solutions that are also convenient to your child for the best results. Being a mom to many has taught me many things about storage and organization. Here are some of my top must-have items for organizing a kids bedroom.
Canvas bins offer many solutions. These come in many sizes and can be used all over the room. Slide a flat canvas bin under the bed for storing shoes and extra blankets. Choose canvas bins of all sizes to organize toys and other items on a shelf. Have a certain bin designated to library books or toys that travel in the car or to Grandma's house. The possibilities are endless when it comes to canvas bins and kids. Hanging rod organizers help kids keep track of items. Need an easy way to be sure your kids always know where there shoes and matching outfits are? Try closet organizers that hang from the clothing rod. Some have compartments and some keep clothing condensed. You can find shoe racks, sweater racks, and even special hangers that help kids keep their items neat and easily accessible. Hanging storage solutions create more floor space. Need a way to get all those stuffed animals or other collections off the floor? Try hanging the stuffed animals in a fun design or finding a ceiling storage rack for them. These are generally very cost-effective and can be found in varied shapes, sizes, and materials. It also keeps the items in the child's room, while keeping them out of the way at the same time. Wall storage helps organize smaller items. Too many items strewn across the dressers and shelves? Try wall organizers. These could be made of wood, canvas, or metal, depending on your child's décor and their intended purpose. You can even make your own if you're feeling inventive. Use up all that wall space, instead of letting it go to waste. You'd be surprised at how much more space your child will have. Drawer dividers help kids keep clothing neat. Tired of going to grab something from your child's drawer and seeing everything disorganized. Try drawer dividers. By sticking these in between certain items, it helps your child see that everything has its place. This must-have bedroom organizational item is especially handy for younger kids. By Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff "Swish!" Was that Kobe? Not this time. That's the sound of your son or daughter making a shot from the bed. You've got the over-the-door setup covered. But she wants more items to show off her favorite sport. You can create a fun basketball themed bedroom for your child without going too commercial or spending too much cash. Go homemade with this simple DIY basketball bedroom décor for kids.
Easy No-Sew Basketball Throw Pillows To make some simple basketball throw pillows, you'll need orange fleece, black piping, fabric glue, and filler material. How much material you need will depend on how big or small you want the pillows and how many you will be making. Basically, look at the fabric and imagine cutting out two circles per pillow that are slightly wider than your desired size. Take those two circles and glue them together just around the edges outside in. Leave a small opening to put the filler into. Once the glue is dry, turn the material inside out. Fill it with the material to the desire fullness. Now fold the open edges down and glue them together to line up with the already-glued edges. Once that's dry, take your piping and cut in appropriate lengths to glue basketball stripes on the outside of the pillow. Let those dry and you're done. Hanging Basketball Lanterns For these, simply purchase the desired number of round paper lanterns in orange. You'll also need some heat-safe black paint. Hobby paint used for model cars works great for this type of project because it can be purchased in very small amounts or large containers. This way you only need to buy what you need. Take a paintbrush and paint the stripes onto the lanterns to make them look like a basketball. Basketball Scoreboard To create a basketball scoreboard, you'll need a chalkboard in the desired size, some chalk, white acrylic paint, and a paintbrush. Paint the scoreboard template onto the chalkboard and let it dry. Now whenever the kids shoot hoops on the over-the-door net or with paper balls into the trash can, they can use the chalk to keep score. Basketball Wall Décor For wall décor, collect any odds and ends related to basketball and frame them. This could be tickets, hats, jerseys, deflated basketballs, and more. Frame each item separately and hang them all around the room. Make it like your child's personal hall of fame if he or she plays the sport. If not, just make it about the game, in general. Basketball Bed Post Décor Want to create a basketball bed for your child that doesn't cost you a fortune? You can use your child's bed posts and four basketballs to create this look. In addition to four basketballs, you'll need an air pump and some household glue, such as Goop or E-6000. Deflate each ball about ¼ of the way. Place them over the bed posts. If they don't fit quite right, inflate or deflate until the size is right. Now take some of the household glue and secure the basketballs to the post. Be sure to leave the side with the air hole accessible in case air needs to be replaced at a later date. Allow the balls to dry on the posts 24 hours before disturbing them.
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
"But mom, I need a couch, a desk, a bed, and a dresser all to fit into my room. Oh, and I also need a card table and a vanity." If this statement worries you, think about choosing versatile furniture for a kid's bedroom.
Choose flexible colors and patterns. Ever seen a child's room where the colors and patterns just don't mesh? Many times this is due to lack of planning. The parents may have picked out one pattern when the child was younger and blended several over the years. Choosing solid colors and neutral patterns can help prevent this. Does your child like a particular character or item? Choose furniture of those colors and keep the character or object pattern to the bedding and draperies. Those are easier and less expensive to switch out as your child grows. Solid colors make furniture more versatile, as it can be used for years to come as the child's tastes grow with him. Use transitional furniture. Another way to keep kids furniture versatile is by choosing pieces that can transform into stages as your child grows. For instance, choosing a convertible crib that changes from a crib, to a toddler bed, then a twin sized bed is a wiser purchase than a simple crib. Choose furniture that easily changes when your child's needs do. Choose multipurpose items. Rather than choosing items that have only one function, save space by choosing things that are good for more than one purpose. For instance, you might choose a bench that also doubles as a storage space. Another option is a futon or other seating area that also doubles as a bed. This helps save space in your child's room. But at the same time, it gives them all the items they would like to have. Choose items with multiple age levels. Rather than buying small items that will not grow with your child, choose those that are appropriate for all ages. For instance, one table and chair set may accommodate only preschoolers. Yet another may work for preschool age on up to teens. The second option is more versatile. It will last longer and also will come in handy when friends of relatives of varying ages come over for a play date. What are the benefits of choosing versatile furniture for a kids bedroom? Items that work for many uses and a variety of age levels are beneficial in many ways. These items, though sometimes pricey, can actually be a savings in the long run. This is because they will help prevent the purchase of other items in the future. These items often grow with the child, which means they don't have to give up their favorite items. Another great benefit to versatile items is that if your child decides he does not like a piece as he grows, it can be re-purposed for another family member or friend. |
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