Get your kids out in the garden this summer!

There's plenty to do to get ready for the growing season that little hands can help with! Here are some fun, simple tasks that your kids will actually enjoy.

Get dirty!

Mix up big batches of soil for your container garden needs. Buy a bunch of ingredients and let your kids go to town mixing it up. Here's a simple container garden soil recipe from Fine Gardening:

Mix 2 gallons each of peat moss, perlite, compost, and garden soil with 1/2 cup each of dolomitic limestone, soybean meal, greensand, rock phosphate, and kelp powder. You may need to buy a bunch of supplies at the beginning, but you'll save a bunch of money in the long run. Big plastic storage containers are great for mixing the soil, or a wheelbarrow if you have one.

Make seed tapes.

When you're ready for some quiet time, set out the supplies to make some seed tapes. This is a great project for detail-oriented children who are meticulous with measurements and crafting. Carrots, radishes, lettuce, and anything else you'd plant in rows would be great for this project.

Design garden markers.

Whether you're using wooden popsicle sticks or painting rocks, creating garden markers is a great craft for your creative kids. If you do use basic acrylic paints, make sure to seal the finished product with a clear coat.

Start a time-lapse video.

Give your aspiring filmmaker the daily task of taking a photo of your garden. Over the growing season, you should end up with a cool set of pictures you can use to create a time-lapse video using simple video editing tools. Pair this daily chore with watering the garden and you've got yourself a valuable assistant!