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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Turn the power off, that gets them out. Once they are out the love it.

I really don't have a problem getting the kids into the garden. They LOVE being outdoors. Son likes his water table. Daughter loves doing gymnastics on the lawn. They help watering plants & love their paddling pool, bikes, scooters etc

My daughter loves the garden. With her sandpit and paddling pool

My kids love playing in the garden. As soon as the weather is better they are out. We got them a playhouse, so they like playing in that, on their bouncy castle, and just having fun together. We also do science projects outside, and have got a bird table and insect house. Were going to be hatching butterfly's soon as well.

We are trying to make more use of the garden, previously we had an apple tree at the end and the garden used to be overrun with caterpillars at a certain time of year which put us off going out there, we are talking them being EVERYWHERE!! Now I am trying to get my son to eat more varied food types as he is very very fussy, we try to grow our own vegetables some years, or herbs, but most of the time they are eaten by slugs ... it would be great to get one of those raised troughs for putting herb gardens in. In regards to getting outdoors in general, we are lucky enough to live near the sea where there is a big common opposite where you can have BBQ's and picnics and play football or outdoor games, there is also a splash park there, so we tend to head there for some proper outdoor time.

I think water is the key- they love water balloons, water pistols, splash and slides and a paddling pool.

My youngest loves to be outside. shes quite happy to look around the garden with her bug catching kit learning about wildlife.
She also likes to take a ball out to play or chalk on the flags at the front of our house. The older children are a different story.

I'm hoping to build a sandpit in the back garden as my DS is mad about sand castles. Hopefully it will help me to persuade him to get out in the sunshine.

Half of our garden is covered in sand like a mini beach .. that's enough no matter the weather. But for the summer there is a paddling pool now as well. Plus her own little patch of flowers,strawberries,raspberries and fairies. And trampoline ,swing and slide on the other half. I have trouble getting her in not out.

Our garden is a state right now but when my stepdad comes to sort it (he's a professional gardener) then we'll be planting some flowers and vegetables and playing out as often as we can :)

Our children are happy to play in the garden. They enjoy playing games outside, and digging/making things out of the items they find outside (and from the recycling bins) and incorporating these into their games.
No extra inducements/encouragement is required.

My little 2.5yr old boy LOVES the garden and going for walks, much prefers that to staying and watching TV - struggle to get him to come in for dinner!

We have downloaded the National Trust 50 things to do before eleven 3/4 app. It gives a to do list full of outdoor activities, some of which can easily be done in your back garden such as building a den, going on a bug hunt. My DC is so excited by it and she gets to log each activity as she does it including typing up details herself and adding photos if she wishes. It awards certificates and unlocks secret challenges we have spent more time outdoors this half term because of this exciting combination of technology through the app and her love of the outdoors.
Our baby just loves to watch her sister!

We've been planted seeds and my DD enjoys pushing them into the soil and using her own little space. She loves getting her watering can out and watering our growing sunflowers.

Get out in the garden with them, set up lots of fun activities. My two enjoy sand, hoops, water, trampoline fun and treasure hunts!

My dd likes to take all her colouring books and pens outside , and her paints. She knows if she is outside she is allowed to make more mess than inside so that's her incentive! She also loves kicking a ball about and digging in the garden.

Our garden is like a playground- trampoline,swings, slide. Makes mowing the lawn a challenge but the kids love it!

My 2 girls love being in the garden - I just sorted out a trough each and a selection of flower seeds and they have been watching their little seedlings for the past few days! For fun, they love their trampoline and, with the good weather, their paddling pool. Life is so simple and easy when spent in the garden!

We've not long ago had our garden re-turfed which has made it great for the kids to run about on. We were also given a sun flower which the kids are helping to grow, although my son seems to have picked off some of the petals.

We eat outside most of the time now it's getting hotter, we don't have a big garden but I do like it!

Growing flowers that attract birds and bees so that they learn about ecology of the wider world outside just the garden :)

My daughter has a garden patch that she grows runner beans, beetroot and carrots.

Give him the 'I-Spy in the Garden' book so he can tick off the things he sees - I don't have garden but friend and family do and he loved the i-spy books so i often mention them on here!

Gardening and playing games

The ubiquitous sand pit and related toys always works.

Getting them out to plant seeds and see them grow. My dd loves checking the sunflowers everyday! We also have a veg patch with strawberries, lettuce, peas and raspberries which they love picking. To get them out in the garden you can't go wrong with swingball my kids love it no matter what age