Time spent to organize your outdoor areas needs to also be considered when you and your children are at home for most of the day. Here are some tips to make it a happy and enjoyable environment.

One may wonder how this fits into your home - but when homeschooling, the yard or garden becomes an extension of your children’s learning and ability to enjoy the space.

I promise that I am not telling those who do not like gardening to become a green fingered elf overnight… I am just sharing some ideas with you on how to organize your outdoor areas to create an inviting space for you and your children to enjoy.

We have lived in homes with gardens of all sizes and stages of growth. So these ideas will help whether you have a “postage stamp” or a large plot.

Planting for beauty

Flower beds can become a nightmare for busy homeschooling moms. But they bring such beauty into your outside space that it is worth investing a little time and money into them. When my children were very small I had time to plant out perennials each year for lots of color. But as time when on and our three R’s take longer I found that I could not keep it up.

I like to add a little color each season with a tray of perennials but this I usually do in the holidays. When we bought our last house and I revamped the garden, I added as much indigenous and annuals as I could. I chose a green, gray and white scheme highlighted with blue. This way I still get flowers but not through any regular labor.

Hanging baskets are a great way to plant for instant splashes of color where you need them.

Vegetable gardens

Not only is it a delight for children to have a patch of your plot to grow their own veggies, but it is a wonderful blessing if you have the time to grow your own for the table. We have had extensive veggie gardens in the past but now are only able to grow our own herbs.

If you have the space, consider allowing your children to have a door sized plot to grow their own seasonal vegetables. Our children have so enjoyed eating their own produce whether the yield has been great or just a handful of strawberries or peas. The best book I can recommend on this topic is Pippa’s Organic Kitchen Garden. It is written for British seasons but the information in it is relevant to all.

If you do not have the space, a potted veggie garden has worked for us and will for you too. Tomatoes, peas, beans, potatoes and baby carrots can all grow well in pots.

Raised beds are the best way to grow veggies as you can build up the organic matter (the same way you would for trench beds) but are more manageable and contained. There is a whole year of learning involved in this area!

As I mentioned before we only grown our own herbs at the moment but it is still a delight for us to collect our basil, marjoram or thyme from our kitchen garden!

Organize your outdoor play areas

The younger your children are the more important this becomes. These areas do not need to be elaborate and I remember many a happy afternoon spent as a child under a willow tree with tree stumps for tables. Here are some other ideas:

Wendy houses with a toy stove, table and kitchen sets are wonderful for imaginary play.

Jungle Gyms (climbing frames), preferable wooden, are essential for gross motor development. A safe climbable tree will also do!

Sandpits with buckets and spades are great for children from little through to preteen. Our sandpit was used for castle building to creating battle zones for toy soldiers! Remember to cover them over when not in use to prevent neighborhood cats from soiling them.

Secret gardens - if you can create one with a path into your overgrown beds will be a delight to children.

If you have a large tree then consider building a tree house as a family project.

Organize your outdoor pool area

Not all homes have a swimming pool but if you do here are some tips to organize the area:

We drilled plastic covered hooks into a wall near the pool for the children to hang up their towels and costumes to dry when they finish swimming.

Pool toys and swimming aids can be stored in a built in bench with a lifting lid. We have a rule that only items designed for pools can go into the pool. This saves on cleaning up as well as making sure pool play is safe.

Cleaning equipment like pool brushes and nets can be hung up on brackets on a long wall or stacked in an outdoor shower. Pool chemicals should be stored out of reach of children.

When to fit it in?

No guilt trips allowed - if your garden or yard is not in good shape, please don't feel bad! There is only so much a mom can do.
So my advice is this:

Make a list of all you would like to do in your garden.

Allocate small increments of time to each job.

Involve your children in the revamp project.

And most of all - HAVE FUN!!

Other pages you may be interested in are:

Nature Study with kids
Loving your children
Organize your home
Toddler Gross Motor Activities
Creating a kid friendly garden

For extra help and some ideas that really work...you can sign up for a series of organizational tips to help you take some steps to becomming a more organized mom! Sign up below.

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