Category: Guide

While the idea of birds and insects nearby may not be a positive prospect for some, they can actually play a really unique and exciting role in elevating the enjoyment of a garden, particularly as a place for children to learn and enjoy themselves. Here at Garden Play, we’d never advocate for ants close to the kitchen, but there are a range of bird and insects that can be a really positive presence in the right areas of your garden.

As well as looking exciting and giving an opportunity to teach children about the animal kingdom, certain creatures are really useful at dealing with pests and contributing to the overall wellbeing of your garden through pollination. Rather than using a host of pesticides and insecticides to keep insects away, you can actually create an environment that attracts the right creatures back to your garden. Here are some tips:

Bird Table/Feeding Station

Birds can create a beautiful scene in your back garden as they settle take on some food and then fly away gracefully. The regular presence of a variety of birds to watch can be entertaining enough for adults, but it can be mesmerising for kids. A bird table or feeder attracts bird and is easy to maintain, with the wide range of bird species that could come into your backyard able to be fed from seed, fat balls, peanuts and dried fruits among other things. Once they find you to be a source of food and water, they’ll always come back.

Pollen & Nectar-rich Flowers

Pollinators are essential in the ecosystem and can be attracted by planting pollen-rich plants. These plants will attract both bees and butterflies. Some of the fragrant varieties of plants include:

– Lavender, one of the most common flowers, provides nice scents as well as attracting the right insects.

– Dahlias are also highly recommended for new gardeners because they are easy to grow and maintain.

– Foxgloves are a favourite flower for bees since they are bell-shaped and easy for the insects to suck nectar from. Foxgloves attract hummingbirds, butterflies and moths.

– Marigold is also popular among gardeners because it can grow in any soil and has bright and beautiful flowers that brighten the garden.

Create a Butterfly Feeder

In case your garden is too small to fit an area for larger plants, you could construct a small butterfly feeder. Butterflies are some of the most attractive insects with their beautiful colourful patterns. Butterflies enjoy eating sugar and succulent fruits, so you could construct a really simple butterfly feeder by putting some slices of over-ripe fruits on a plate next to some bright flowers. After a short while, you will find the butterflies flying between the succulent fruits and the flower petals!

Construct an Insect Hotel

An insect hotel is created by imitating the environment of the insects to attract them to settle in a given place. Since there are fewer insects by the day due to the widespread application of insecticides, insect hotels are an important and increasingly novel feature. Insect hotels are known to attract ladybirds.

A beautiful backyard can be naturally decorated to attract a variety of insects and birds. All you need to do is to create conducive conditions and provide the food, water and plant life. Although it may take some time, these birds and insects will get used to the safe haven that you have provided and become an exciting cast of visitors for you and your children to enjoy.

Safe game time is a priority for families, especially when you are looking forward to fun under the sun. With endless options for fun during summer, it is important to keep certain safety tips in mind when you are getting ready to enjoy an active summer. There are many things you can do to ensure a safe, happy summer vacation.

Sun Protection

There are many misconceptions about the need for sun protection. Most parents think that sun protection is needed only at the beach. The truth is that sun protection is needed all the time your child is outdoors during the daytime. You should ideally not allow children outdoors too much during the daytime, especially when the sun is at its peak. However, kids being kids, there is little you can do to restrain them home. So your next best option is to use powerful sunscreen. You would also need to apply the sunscreen several times through the day, depending on the time spent outdoors and other factors. Sun protection also includes dark glasses to help protect the eyes against glare.

Food & Drinks

Food and beverages are an important part of staying healthy during the season. It is easy to forget the body’s need for hydration during the excitement and games. However, it is important to keep sufficient supply of water or beverages handy. It is important to eat healthy and sufficient meals, so that the child can retain their energy and bear better the hot sun. It is important to keep snacking when needed, because three meals a day may not be sufficient for very active children.

Injury Protection

Injuries can occur during play. With the right protective gear, such as bicycle helmets these injuries can be kept to a minimum. You could also include a first aid box in your supplies and ensure that the contents are always fresh and in stock. You would also need bug spray and other products to keep insects at bay. Other safety measures include having emergency contact numbers handy for the child. The child should be able to contact trusted people during an emergency. It is important to survey the location and mark spots that you feel can be dangerous to the child. You would also need to explain to the child the need to avoid these spots. Also, the child should know who to trust, and when to not interact with strangers.

It is very important that children be aware of basic first aid, if they are old enough to apply first aid. They should also be taught how to deal with potentially risky situation relevant to the location. For example, if you are indulging in water sports, the child should know what type of waves to avoid, why they need to not go to the deep end of the pool and so on. Also, the child would need to be taught other first aid measures. You would need to ensure that the child is under responsible supervision when needed. You could be attending to the child, or allocate the task to an adult you trust.

Exercise is one of the most important things in our daily lives. Gym membership continues to grow on a daily basis all over the world. But did you know there are exercises you can do own your own without stepping on the gym? Walking is one of them. Apart from improving your physical health and saving you cash that you could have spent on gym membership, this simple exercise turns out to have a lot of other benefits to you and your family than you can imagine. Find out how the whole family can benefit from walking.

Better sleep

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine carried out a study that showed how a daily 20-minute walk can help improve your sleep quality. The study discovered that a person is able to sleep more soundly and also feel energetic as they wake up.

Improves your mood

Endorphins are hormones which are usually released when a person engages in physical activity of any kind, they help in boosting the mood of the individual. Symptoms of mild depression can also be eased to moderate depression by doing regular exercises such as walking. This is because you will create a sense of mindfulness when you enjoy the walk.

Benefits the environment

Did you know you can reduce pollution by taking a simple walk? This is how; by leaving your car at home and taking a simple walk you will have reduced harmful emissions. If your work place, preferred shop or local park are just a walking distance you will just be taking a leisurely stroll.

Reconnects with nature

Appreciating the beauty of nature is most comfortable and fulfilling when you are closer to the environment itself; taking a walk guarantees all this. You will be able to hear the birds singing, be closer to those beautiful flowers and breathe in some wild scents such as garlic. You may be lucky to also spot some wild animals and be able to take some pictures of trees, plants and other creatures.

A perfect family activity

There are many commitments such as social, school and work that usually consume a lot of time leaving the family with little time for bonding. By properly planning with the rest of the family members you can create time for a little walk. This will help the family bond and enjoy nature together. You can also make it more fun by trying geocaching. There is also a chance of meeting other families as you walk around, giving a chance to add new people to your circle of friends as you enjoy the fresh air.

Below are some of the useful walking tips as your family plans on the next walk; Wear shoes that you are comfortable with, take snacks and water bottle for your fuel but remember not to litter the environment, a basic first aid kit that has sun scream, plasters and antihistamines is important for your safety, you may also carry a waterproof coat just in case the rain starts while you are enjoying your walk.