Tips to help and encourage children

• Remember it only takes small change to make a big difference
• Encourage children to help in the garden by giving them their own patch.
  
• Make sure they have a good start by giving them a good area. Remember they will be over-enthusiastic, so patience is needed, and your time to help.
• Let them have the responsibility of watering & looking after their area.
  
  
• Make sure they wear old clothes, as they will get dirty.
• Set up a compost bin so they can collect leaves, grass, dandelions and all your old fruit & vegetables.
• If you don’t have a garden, children can still have their own pots or window planters.
• Let them plant something edible; this works even better. See the Things to Do section for ideas.
  
  
• Enjoy your time together by having a snack, and sitting and talking with them.
• When sunny, ensure that they have sun cream & hats on, plus lots to drink. Avoid the hottest part of the day and very important – don’t let them stay in the sun for too long.
• If you do have a paddling pool or pond, keep an eye on them at all times.
• Try to encourage children to wear gloves, and always wash their hands after touching soil or plants.
  
  
• Keep large, sharp and electric tools locked away in a shed. Buy them a children’s gardening set; have a look at our shopping section for ideas.
• Watch out for poisonous plants & berries; familiarise yourself with them, so you can warn and teach children about them.
• Have fun, whether in the garden or a yard with plant pots or a window box. Children learn responsibility by having something to look after & nurture.
• Recycle & re-use as much as possible; see our 3R’s page.
  
  
• Save water by collecting rainwater for the garden or plants. Also turn taps off and do not let them drip. When running the hot water tap, collect the water before it gets hot, instead of letting run down the sink.
• Save on energy by only boiling the amount of water that is needed in the kettle.
• Turn TV & DVD players off, as they still use 85% on stand by.
  
• Encourage healthy living and remember to set a good example; see our Healthy Living section.
  
  
• Make recycling fun. Did you know that a fleece is made up from 25 recycled bottles, and the pencils in our membership packs are made from recycled video-cassettes?
• Remember - it only takes small change to make a big difference.
• Walk rather than ride whenever you can.