10 Ways To Get Children Involved Around The Farm

Since my little Sprout has become an outspoken independent toddler,
he always wants to help out around the farm.  
As much as I appreciate the idea, I wouldn’t always call it “help”.  
So I have had to find creative ways to get him involved.  

10 Toddler Approved Farm Activities

1. Water Plants
   My best friend bought a Mickey Mouse watering can for my little boy at the beginning of summer & it quickly became one of his favorite toys.  He loves to water all of the thirsty plants every day & takes such pride in doing his “job”.  He of course wants no help.
2. Feed Animals
   I started out letting him carry the empty feed scoop back from the chicken coop after I fed them.  Now he carries the full scoop to the coop (that’s a little farm rap for ya), and dumps the feed in himself.  He walks right into the middle of the chicken flock & shoos them out of his way! 

   

3. Prune Plants
   Since the weather is getting colder, I brought some of the plants in from our back deck.  The frost had already nipped at a couple of them, so I let Creek use kid-safe scissors to prune off the dead parts.  This was a great way to work on his colors (green vs. brown) & to develop his fine motor skills.
4. Carry Compost
   We keep a coffee can on top of our refrigerator that we fill with kitchen scraps throughout the day.  When it becomes full, little man carries it to the compost bin & dumps it on the way the garden to do our other chores.
5. Gather Eggs
   It has taken some time to teach that eggs are fragile & we have to be very careful with them.  But since he now understands that, he loves to help gather them.  An added bonus is that this gives us an opportunity to practice our counting. 
6. Weed Plants 
   It can be tough for kids to distinguish between weeds & the produce you have slaved so hard to grow, but as they get a little older (the children & the plants) this is a great way to get them involved in the garden & get an extra set of hands helping to keep the never-ending weeds under control!
7. Gather Kindling
   We love spending time around a campfire, especially this time of year.  As the weather cools, we usually cook at least one meal per week in the dutch oven over an open flame.  We always need kindling to get the fire started, so gathering sticks is a useful way to keep our boy entertained.
8. Clip Coupons
   When the Sunday sales papers come, let your little one use kid-safe scissors to clip the items that they would like to buy on this week’s shopping trip.  This is a great way to get them involved in meal planning & as they get older they can learn to clip & use coupons to stay on a grocery budget.
9. Gather Materials For Composting
   Composting is a huge part of gardening.  In the summer, we let grass clippings dry for a couple of days & sometimes add them to the pile.  Creek likes to load his little wheelbarrow down & dump it on the pile himself.  In the fall you can also used dried leaves.
10. Gather “Treasures” for Art Projects
    We love to look for little treasures while we are out doing our chores.  This could be anything from acorns & leaves, to pretty chicken feathers.  Then we take them home & make pretty nature collages.  Creek calls it doing his arts 🙂

What are some ways that you get your children involved around the farm or house??  
Share your ideas and activities in the comments section below!