Because I am a nature lover, I assume that my grandchildren will automatically be nature lovers too. What I have come to realize is that teaching children to love nature is all about immersing them in it. This practice does not have to be an expensive endeavour, more of a shared lifestyle, that can and should begin very early in life. One of my fondest memories of both of my grandmothers is their love of gardening.
I love all things garden-related, so I make sure my grandchildren tour my gardens, patio, and veranda plantings when they visit. I have added a few whimsical features throughout my yard to pique their interest, in my way of teaching children. I love their sweet reactions!
I also have a few nature-inspired features in my home décor that the kids love…
Teaching children has to be age-appropriate or your students quickly lose interest. As my grandkids get older, the teaching or mentoring gets easier. In the spring they help me plant some decorations on my back deck. Then they water them throughout the summer to keep them thriving. I haven’t met a child yet that does not like to water flowers! Morning glories and sunflowers are easy to plant and grow quickly…
A word of caution when teaching children though, make sure you don’t care if they break your touches of nature. For example, the resin bunny has a broken tail and foot from two separate, accidental drops. And, one of my birdies cracked after my grandson threw it on a hard floor attempting to make it fly. I have to keep a close eye on the elephant as it is a sentimental (and very old) souvenir their great-grandpa brought their grandfather back from a trip to Africa.
