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

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

When ours didn't want to go out and it was warm. I made them eat out then they started to play outside.

Picnics and growing flowers and vegetables!

I'm definitely going to get my DC a few plant pots to grow carrots and radishes in. I did it as a child and absolutely LOVED watering the plants and eventually eating them. It's a great way to teach them about patience and waiting until the vegetable is fully grown.

The paddling pool comes out and the kids help with watering the plants, (although the plants don't get much of the water they soak each other instead) the they have their own little patch and grow herbs , they love to go out and check on them and have their own little gardening sets. they love to get outside

Sadly my nanna passed away 2 weeks ago, me and my boys are planning on planting lots of flowers to remember her

I have a small garden but have created a little play haven - I have made a wigwam and create a sort of obstacle course for my little ones to play.

Bubbles and gardening here

My little boy doesn't need any encouragement in getting outdoors in the garden. He LOVES being outside. We have recently added a wildlife pond to our garden and its teaming with tadpoles which are turning into little froglets. Ronan is out there every day watching them grow, marvelling at their shrinking tails and appearing legs!

helping with the gardening

I started in the spring, to encourage one dc to take an interest in the outside world a little. We have enjoyed lettuces and Kale even before the slugs arrived, and now have strawberries and tomatoes on the way. The sweet pea flowers are a joy, and the alpine rock garden we created is growing well. Older dc wanted to join in, and made a herb garden. I have been suprised just how into it I have got and how lovely it is to go out together and water and inspect every evening. After living in this house for 15 years I discovered a wild strawberry plant growing and fruiting under some brambles this weekend. So sure, do it for them, but do it for yourself too.

I like to have 'garden picnics' :)
I also ask him to help me with garden jobs but he gets bored to quickly so paddling pools are good!

We have a sunflower competition running in our town and our son has been told he is in charge of all watering! Nothing like a bit of competitive spirit to make sure he continues to care for it. We also enjoy growing fruit like strawberries and he loves picking the fruit when ripe!

Growing tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and other food plants. Helps them understand where food comes from and is exciting watching the food grow from small seeds.

We start by planting sunflowers at the start of the summer for a sunflower competition!

My dd loves being out in the garden, So doesn't really need any help in encouraging her to go out there! She has a slide, a house, a paddling pool and sand tray. She absolutely loves playing with them all, but also enjoys exploring the flowers, and all the creepy crawlies. She really enjoys getting involved with pulling up weeds and watering the flowers.

Camping overnight in the garden. mini picnics and organizing parties.

my ds and i love planting flowers and fruit in the garden. its so nice for him to see things grow which hes grown from seed!

Will get out the paddling pool

We have been growing sunflowers and chilli peppers in pots - here is H with her sunflower ready to re-pot outside shes super excited about it.

We started this last year with growing some little herbs in pots and this year we have moved on to bigger things - H has her own little patch which she looks after - she is very proud of it :)

they're desperate for a trampoline but until then playing football will have to do, they love it though come rain or shine they're outdoors.

paddling pools and garden art

Either build or buy a summer house to put at bottom of the garden & it also be used to store bikes or garden toys in

I'm planning on opening the door and yelling "outside!"

They are all under 7 and have bikes, trampoline and buckets of water and brushes to "paint" the house. I won't see them for dust.

plenty of sheets and blankets lets their imagination run wild, from flying carpets to building a den over the washing line they have hours of fun.

Luckily my children are at the age where the garden is still fun and exciting! My daughter loves collecting her pet snails around the garden!