TOOLS AND RULES

Teach your child that tools are not toys and can inadvertently hurt someone if they are not used carefully.

Teach your child to use the appropriate tool for the task (i.e. don’t dig with a rake or try to rake with a spade).

Teach your child to clean all the tools when finished.

Never leave tools in the garden over night. Have a special place to keep your tools.

Most adult sized tools, with the exception of trowels, are too big or heavy for children to use comfortably. Many garden tools come in child sized version and can be an acceptable substitute.

Stay away from plastic tools designed for sandbox play. They are too flimsy for gardening and don’t often look like the real thing.

Teach your child basic community gardening etiquette: Don’t walk in anyone else’s garden, unless invited and don’t pick anyone else’s plants, unless invited.

Teach your child to observe essential safety rules: Never taste any parts of any plant unless an adult says that it is safe to do so. Teach them to recognise poison ivy, stinging nettles and any other poisonous plant. Don’t touch fertilisers, pesticide containers, or brightly coloured seeds (these have been chemically treated).