Tell Homebase how you will get your kids in the garden over the summer - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

It’s a common worry that our DC don’t spend enough time outside, especially with teens glued to their phones and toddlers insisting on watching their favourite movie for the 1000th time. Homebase would like to find out how you will encourage your DC to get out in the garden this summer.

Here’s what Homebase has to say: "No matter how big or small your garden is, you want to create a haven that can be enjoyed by your family all year round, especially in the summer months. You don't have to be a professional gardener to plan your own landscape, which is why we have put together useful advice guides and top tips containing plenty of garden ideas to give you the inspiration you need to begin.”

So how will you get your DC in the garden this summer? Will you get them to help you plant fruit and veg so they can get excited watching them grow? Perhaps you’d like to recreate activities you did in the garden when you were a child? If it rains will you be determined to stay outside and play games in a shelter or craft decorations that can be put in the garden when it’s dry again?

Whether you want to create a play haven by building a mini playground or make the perfect space for eating alfresco please post your ideas and plans below and you will be entered into the prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £300 Homebase voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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My two are teenagers now but the swing all still gets a surprising amount of use. Just bought a replacement ball/string as they are both in exam season and popping outside for a ten minute break hitting a ball as hard as they can is remarkably therapeutic!

For the last few summers I have pitched a biggish tent up in the summer hols and they both love using it as a hang out space with their friends (as well as for a couple of sleepovers) . It ruins the grass but I have time to worry about a perfect lawn when they have left home.

My kids love our garden, we could do with some new toys though as a lot of their garden toys was bought when they were younger

My youngest daughter is 10 and she loves being outside. Our neighbours either side have children and my DD loves going out and having water fights with the neighbours - a bag of water bombs is fairly inexpensive, as are a couple of cheap water pistols, but they ensure that, come the good weather, my daughter is likely to be soaking wet in our garden!!

On days where the weather is not so good, a bag of pegs and a pile of blankets allows my daughter to use her imagination and make herself a camp in the garden, where she eats her lunch and entices our cats and dogs to keep her company.

My DC has planted some tomato plants and sunflower seeds, she enjoys the job of watering them too.

We've just put a trampoline up in the garden, it's proving very difficult to get them back in the house!! Haha!

We have bought some nice garden games and a football net

I have a toddler so chalks, bubbles and "painting" the wall with a bucket of water and a brush are proving successful so far this summer

My DD is very keen on creating a new bedding area in our garden and is already planning on what plants she would like there.

We have outdoor toys in our garden and often invite their friends to join in fun and games. Taking part in activities such as gardening and tidying garden have own merits.

After many years trying to make our garden a usable space rather than a wet soggy north facing dreich Scottish garden, we eventually gave in last year and laid some artificial grass. Best thing we ever did, as soon as the rain stops ds can get out as the grass drains and dries so quickly.

Goals and a football and he is happy, throw in a few friends and water balloons and he doesn't need much more. A colourful shed, and ds helps with a few plants in containers and helping plant and water hanging baskets. Some furniture and outdoor beanbags make it an attractive, relaxing useable space. Need a new BBQ this year.

On very sunny days we bring out the paddling pool!

The little ones want to be near me, so I take a book and a cup of tea out and they're much happier to play. The older ones are like vampires so a lot of cajoling and bribery usually goes on. It's a pain to be honest, but it's so important to me that they get a bit of fresh air and sunshine. Taking our lunch outside helps too until the bugs arrive.

We have just bought a sandpit, dd loves it. Dd plays on her trampoline. We tried to grow veg last year but haven't been able to this year, we've planted seeds for bees and butterflies instead. A voucher would definitely go towards a raised planter for a kids veg garden! Might even get my dd to try something other than potatoes

My son is autistic and a bit outdoors resistant at times (noises and flying insects).

I have however discovered that he adores water bugs.

A few weeks ago I stuck a green bucket outside and filled it with rain water. Just a few weeks later and it is teeming with life. Blood worm and mayfly larvae in the main but there is other stuff there too.

He's outside for up to 40 mins at a time now with a pond dipping kit and counting bugs.

It's been great for him.

Sadly we can't enjoy our garden due to the neighbours and their utterly stupid, short fence. I will be taking her out for day trips instead.

Seed pots and paddling pool and trampoline does the trick

I never had any trouble getting my son out in the garden when he was little, and my nieces and nephews all love getting outside, whatever the weather.

Everyone's outdoor spaces, and what they require from them, will vary. It doesn't matter if it's a window box or a hectare of manicured lawn, if it's for play or growing your own veg, the main thing kids want is to be involved.

So whether it's letting them 'help' hang out the washing, doing some weeding or discovering the hidden wildlife amongst the weeds, make it interesting. Talk to them. Make a game of chores. Learn along with them as you find out what bird that is singing outside your window, discover that weed is actually a native wildflower and uncover skills you didn't know you had as you help them build a den.

Comfy lounging chair for my nearly teen and a trampoline for my 6 year old does the trick. I also love to serve food outside, picnics and bbqs on spotty picnic blankets ☺. Can't wait for the summer hols!!

We have lots of BBQ's with the radio on

My son loves being out in the garden! He helps with the gardening....especially the weeding! He has football nets, basketball hoop and when the weather is good we love to get the paddling pool out!

My kids don't really go in our garden as it's not very person friendly. But my daughter wants to grow some flowers this year so we're going to buy some plants and put them in troughs.

My husbands deployed this summer so to keep the kids busy and not dwell on him not being here we've got lots planned in the garden. We've got chickens, guineapigs, trampoline, different fruits that we've grown, a sweet pea den that the kids have helped to grow also and if all else fails....the hosepipe

Eating in the garden as much as possible as the chickens clean up the debris. Boys get involved with cone collecting and watering plants and bean growing.

We have some outdoor toys that my sons love to play with but the thing my youngest loves to do the most is go bug hunting in an area where we have planted lots of wild grass and wild flowers. Sometimes it's hard to get them to come back inside We also have little picnics in the garden as much as possible which is lovely now the weather is starting to warm up.

We build dens and have picnics outside, we're trying to create a play area for my son with a Wendy house and maybe a sandpit.