Giving your children chores is one of the best ways to teach them about responsibility. If you also want them to spend more time outdoors, here are some lawn care chores that kids can do. (Image Credit: Jill Wellington/Pixabay)
Kids may hate doing chores, but it’s what will teach them independence and responsibility that will guide them as they grow up. If you want your kids to learn how to do chores in the yard and spend more time outside instead of in front of the TV, here are some kid-friendly tasks that your children can enjoy, as recommended by commercial landscaping companies in Aniston:
Ages 4-6
At this age, kids can’t do chores without assistance from their parents, aside from simple tasks like taking their plates to the sink. But that doesn’t mean they can’t do yard chores. For kids that are four to six years old, here are some tasks that you can have them do:
- Water the plants using a small watering can
- Pull weeds
- Remove toys, sticks, and stones from the lawn
- Find caterpillars and snails
Ages 6-12
As around your kids go through their school-age years, their motor skills develop rapidly, which allows them to do a lot more tasks the house. Here are some potential new responsibilities that you can add to their list of chores:
- Plant vegetables, herbs, and flowers
- Use a garden hose when watering plants
- Harvest vegetables and cut flowers
- Rake leaves and other debris from the lawn
- Spread mulch and fertilizer
Ages 13 and beyond
When your child becomes a teenager, it is much safer to trust them with lawn equipment and more significant lawn care tasks. Here are several new responsibilities that your teenager can do, which they can also use as a means to earn extra money from you or the neighbors.
- Trim hedges
- Mow the lawn
- Use a gas or electric weeder
- Cut dead branches
- Make flower arrangements
- Use the leaf blower
- Clean lawn care equipment
- Shovel snow during winter
- De-ice the driveway and walkways
Safety tips for kids doing lawn work
- Supervise.For pre-school and school-age children, make sure you keep an eye on them while they’re doing chores.
- Proper clothing.Whenever you give your kids some yard chores, have them wear a hat, closed shoes, and adequate clothing to protect them from the Sun. Don’t forget to spread sunscreen on exposed skin and provide them with gloves if they are handling dirt.
- Keep them hydrated. Keep lots of water nearby, and don’t let your kids stay in direct sunlight for too long.
- Teach them well. Make sure your child understands what they need to do before you let them have at it. Give them as many trials as they need until they can do the chore on their own.
- Don’t let them use potentially dangerous equipment–unless they are old enough and know how to use it properly. The same goes for tools that are heavy and sharp.
Of course, an excellent way to keep your kids motivated about doing yard work is to make it fun. Play some music, invent new games, and don’t make it seem like “work.” Afterward, you can even give them a treat as a reward to let them know that they did a great job and make them look forward to another day of work in the yard.
