Mon 18 Sep 2023
Winter brings a quieter, more contemplative time for children, with fewer outdoor adventures. It's also an ideal period for adults to reflect and plan for the upcoming year's outdoor play space. Here are some delightful winter activities and ideas to kickstart your planning:
1. Start a Compost Heap
Composting is a rewarding eco-friendly activity that can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. Winter is a great time to begin a compost heap. Although garden cuttings and raw food waste decompose better in warmer weather, your compost pile can still thrive during the colder months, thanks to nature's helpers like worms and overwintering creatures.
You can easily create a compost container using old pallets, a plastic dustbin, or designate a corner of your garden. By summer, you'll have rich compost ready to nourish your strawberry or tomato plants, ensuring a bountiful harvest.
2. Plant Bulbs and Seeds
While autumn is traditionally the bulb-planting season, some varieties, along with winter-flowering bulbs, happily accept planting during winter. Don't miss the opportunity to add a burst of color to your outdoor space.
Engage young gardeners by involving them in making and sowing seedballs. All you need are potting compost, mixed wildflower seeds, clay powder (found at garden centers), and water. Children can roll a small amount of the mixture into a ball, add a pinch of seeds, re-roll the ball to incorporate the seeds, and then let them dry on a sunny windowsill. When spring arrives, plant these seedballs in soft soil, and await the blossoming of a vibrant wildflower garden!
3. Repaint and Refresh
Don't neglect the simple joys of sprucing up your outdoor space. Painting fences or chalkboards is a task that can be transformed into a family project. Before painting, encourage children to join in the prep work, such as sanding down surfaces. Small sanding blocks, readily available at DIY stores, are perfect for little hands.
Children can grip the sanding block and help rub away old paint. If they can't participate in painting, offer paintbrushes and colored water so they can contribute by "painting" walls and paving. These physical activities are excellent for developing motor skills and muscle strength.
4. Prune and Shape
Winter's dormant season provides the perfect opportunity to prune and shape plants to enhance your outdoor space. Tame unruly plants like buddleia by cutting them back, and consider removing lower branches from trees.
Before disposing of pruned branches, let children explore their creative side by using them for den-building and nests. These natural materials can spark imaginative play and fort-building adventures.
5. Feed the Wildlife
Winter is a challenging time for wildlife, but you can provide a helping hand. Create a daily feeding program for birds and small mammals like hedgehogs, voles, and wood mice that call your garden home.
Encourage children to participate by crafting DIY bird feeders (search online for ideas) or purchase affordable ones from local stores. Hang these feeders in accessible spots where children can observe the birds. Allow patches of grass to grow longer and create piles of wood and shrub clippings in quiet corners to provide shelter.
By nurturing your garden's ecosystem during winter, you'll be rewarded with the delightful sights and sounds of nature in the spring. Birds will sing their songs, and new families of wildlife will thrive in your cared-for outdoor space.
We hope you like our suggestions and if you have any photos to share, please send it to info@hellomums.co.uk
Happy Planting!
The Hello Mums Team