Topic: Alloments and small children.

[spudsmummy]

hi there
i have put my name down for an allotment, now i am starting to worry abit about taking my son down with me.
He is 21months and very active. he is good and 90% of the time listens to what i say. I am planning to put a fence up around my plot, but it will take time to do. I am a single mum with no child care options. I really want an allotment as we live in a flat with no garden.
Has anyone had experence of little ones down the allotment. Any ideas to keep him entertained part from the normal "give them a spade"

Any advice would be gr8 want to be prepare in every way before i get the plot.
thanks

[trinity]

 I have three children and am a single mum. I have not got my plot yet but i intend to make a child safe area when I do. this will be a fenced off area (low fence with no gate kind of like a large play pen) with a Wendy house and a sand pit this will hopefully keep the little ones entertained while i dig but you would have to check with who ever you are renting the plot from that this is within the rules for the sight and good luck with geting a plot ;D

[norfolklass]

I can't speak from personal experience, but a couple on our site laid a small area of turf in the shade of their shed and their children seem to play on it quite happily.

hope you both get plots soon ;D

[manicscousers]

hi, spudsmummy, welcome to the site  ;D
someone on here made a 'playpen' out of straw bales, can't remember who it was but it seems like a quick fix 'til you get sorted, good luck, I hope you get somewhere soon

[saddad]

Welcome to the site Spudsmummy..  :)

[spudsmummy]

thanks for the replys so far,
the straw bales idea sounds gr8 for the short term at least. i am sure he will have fun tring to climb out lol. ;D

thanks again

[OllieC]

Welcome to the site!

As the proud owner of a nearly 3 year old, I can safely say that, in general, she's a bit of a nuisance on the allotment. It's lovely taking her there to "help", and she loves to guzzle raspberries fresh from the bush, but when you're trying to do some digging & have to put the fork down every minute to pull her out of the nettles or stop her from "dead" heading everything whether it needs it or not, it gets a bit hard. You just get nothing done...

She has her own bit that she does digging in, which can entertain her for a while, and she's got a few raddishes on the go. But I couldn't keep on top of things if she was always with me.

No 2 kids are alike though, are they? Maybe you've got a non hyperactive one!

[kt.]

Welcome to the site.  

I have taken my son to the plot since he was 2.  He got bored after half hour or so,  but loved going down each day. He loves it.  give him a spade and turn some soil so he can dig easily.    He now goes with me always.  He has his own digging tools.   kids gardening gloves, fork, spade,  hand tools,  watering can, even a small hammer.  I also give my 2 kids a bed divided into 2.  They have their own little plot and can plant what they want in it.  

They both ,  put compost in the ground,  help sow and transplant, collect the harvest,  I never tell them off for getting dirty at the plot.  Always have some wet-wipes at the plot too.  Especially if you take food for the kids.

My daughter is 7 and goes sometimes,  my son is now 5 and will go for  2-3hrs.  without a whinge.  We stop and eat together,  he runs in the hen house.  he helps me do all sorts.  Things can be slower but he is interested in it all so I don't mind how long it takes.  If he is not involved, he gets bored and wants to go home........    Just one last thing:  last year I transplanted some plug plants after a bit of weeding.  When I looked back, my son had pulled them all out thinking they were weeds too.......

[spudsmummy]

hi all
hhaha i defo have a hyperactive child, part of the reason i want the plot is to get him out of the flat more. I am more then heppy to let him get dirty and "help".
i have lots of time to do things down there so thats not a problem either. i am more then happy to give him a bed to himself and i was going to ask if it was ok if i put some kind of "play equipment" on my plot. i am not expecting him to be down there for a long time at once, we can go down every day so short periods would be best for both of us i guess.

thanks again

[saddad]

Now mine have grown up the ELC swing frame makes a great support for climbing beans etc...  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

As long as he understands that he has to keep off other people's plots, and you keep him where you can see him, there's nothing much to worry about. We all went to the allotment and had fun as kids.

[artichoke]

My daughter has 18 month and 3 yr old boys, and only goes to her London allotment when I am with her, about once a week. Nettles in this new, neglected plot are still a problem, but on the whole they seem to enjoy getting out and pottering around, especially as there is often a friendly four year old nearby, and they try to make "huts" together. I have imported a little sandpit that they enjoy.

A little bit of sowing and scraping about in the soil goes on, and the younger one often has his morning nap. But two hours is about their maximum unless their father (non gardener) joins us and plays with them.

[princescruffster]

I have a 4 and a 5 year old.  They were a definate pain when the hard graft was underway but they are getting really in to it now that we can harvest a few things.  They enjoy digging up the potates and picking and shelling the broad beans.  Make sure you have clear paths so your beds don't get trampled.  If you want to spend more than an hour up there take a mat and a picnic, colouring books and a bug catcher!

My youngest can spend ages racing snails and playing with worms.  I gave her a piece of old guttering and she turned it in to a race track for them!.

Little and often works best.

[Angelah]

My 3 and 5 year olds love going to the lottie - mainly cos as a bribe, if they're good we go to the park next door on the way home!!!

It was difficult last year as there were sooo many nettles and brambles, it's also very uneven, so they just kept falling over into the brambles etc. But this year the brambles are being controlled more - strimmed/trimmed or covered before slowly getting round to dig them out, but also the youngest is more stable on his feet!!

We've now got a fair bit covered in a mixture of carpet and black plastic, which they can play on quite happily. The rest is in beds or pathways that we are trying to keep clear of brambles etc. Atm our beds are a bit haphazard, but they are learning quickly where they are and aren't allowed. Until recently the plot next to ours wasn't worked and was so awful they didn't bother to wander, now it is being cleared,  but now they know not to go there.

I would suggest covering and clearing a bit at a time, don't have huge plans about getting it done quickly - this is technically our second year - but didn't get anything done really last year. This year its still slow going, but we can see progress and we're all enjoying it. My youngest has even started to eat potatoes - has always refused them - but when he helped dig them up, wash them, and put them in the pan he was persuaded to eat some - hurrah!!! Hope that goes for other stuff too!!!

Above all, go for it and enjoy!!!

[Redduck]

My two (now 7 and 9) have always loved going to the allotment but they are enjoying it more and more as they get older - i'm sure my daughter will fine it 'soooooo boring' once she hits her teens. They both have their own mini plot now.  They often get stung by nettles when they play on a bit of waste land next to our plot but they just find a dock leaf and sort themselves out.  If you can cope when they're young it just gets easier and easier.  Good luck.

[loopyloulou]

mine are 2 and 4, and yes i hardly get a thing done, youngest came with today and doesnt like the weeds, being girlie girl, so i spent ages pulling them clearing the paths for her and she went n fell asleep in her buggy, so i tried digging spuds to find they were too strangled by weeds to do much and left most of them and just did more weeding, she woke up and wet herself, so we called daddy and big brother 2 rescue us and picked some radishes for nana, and grandad and daddy and half the world i think, but she was happy then, we only took it on end of feb and it was covered in the dreaded couch grass, but im slowly getting bits n bobs done, i find taking a picnic and blanket works wanders, sun shade is an old double sheet tied and wrapped round some bean poles making a tee pee they have theyre own tools and places 2 dig, thjey have footballs, mini ones and a large patch of grass to pick daisys from, tomorrow im taking both and i need to do a bit more weeding, feed the tomatoes (eldest will help!) water (kids will do that) and clear and manure some more ground for the pumpkins and courgette plants i took up today, oh and find some netting and try again with the peas, flamin birds, but if it rains were making a "daddy" scarecrow :) to try and keep them pesky birds off, they seem to like the brassicas the chinese leaves and peas.... grr......
but point is, it is doable, but dont expect miracles! mine have had fun with a bucket of stones, throwing "grass pies" (handfulls of grass we rip up and throw at each other) in and mixing it up with theyre spades, deffo keep a grassy area for the kids of there isnt one handy, and let them have theyre own plot, flowers i think is a must as they can admire those, potatoes r great but flowers are a quick fix too :) im looking forward to lifting the few carrots weve got growing, but may give in and grow some at home in pots instead, the kids r desperate for carrots!!! oh and agree, little and often, we last about 4hrs topps, and that truly is pushing it, snacks and drinks and loo visits later i may have got something done without them trying 2 kill each other, lol, but they love the fresh air and open space and freedom to wander off on the grass (within sight) im going to try planting some more peas and beans and get those going as they seem to like the idea of those and theyll be able to pick them if i can just get them going properly....

[Chilipepper]

I have a 15yr old boy and 5yr old girl and both have been great
My lottie is fenced in so little un doesnt get on others plots, older one does the hard work lol

[Esre]

I have an 11 y/o and a 3 y/o and most of the time things are okay. They have strict rules that they aren't allowed to go on any other allotment but they are allowed to look at them and have a wander when they are together.

They each have a job (not that it gets done!) on the plot, little one is in charge of flowers and the older one is in charge of bugs so they have something to keep them busy but mostly they like to dig and argue which is just like when they are at home.

For next year I have bought some 'odd' tomatoes for them to grow, the purple ones and the tiger stripe ones and I have sunflowers for a competition, and a variety of carrot that grows in a ball. They really enjoy finding things to pick and so far none of my strawberries have made it home and they have hunted out the peas that I thought were no more.

The older one takes more of an interest as he can read up on things like which bugs are good bugs and I can get him a bit more hands on but the little one thinks searching out that last ripe strawberry is the best thing ever and she can dig very big holes which I'm sure will be useful one day...

Esre

[saddad]

Welcome to the site Redduck... have you said hello anywhere else? Like the News forum?
 :)

[shaolin101]

my kids are 3, 5, and 7 - they come down sometimes - they have a 1mx1m raised bed each - they can grow what they want and look after it.

As most kids do, they like to dig for treasure! Pretty much means the flick dirt everywhere!

I let them do some watering, sprinkle seeds, of course they dont want to pick many weeds but they are more than keen to grab strawberries!

We can search for bugs etc which can be fun.

Remember to bring suncream and drinking water - it can get deceptively hot at an allotment.