Little Tools

No, not the kids. I'm really talking about their tools. Sheesh. I've learned some important things about getting my boys interested in this large rectangle of dirt that we're calling a garden.
1) Expect them to get dirty. Encourage them to get dirty. Dress for dirt.
2) Give them kid-sized tools. It makes them feel important and they want to help and get involved.
Simple huh?
For starters, our boys each have their own pair of wellies for going out in the garden. The wellies originated because portions of our yard flood when it rains and the wellies kept them dry for playing. They now know that wellies are for working in the garden since it prevents their shoes from getting ruined. All the odd socks floating around in their drawers who have sadly lost their mates get worn inside those wellies. My boys may be wearing one blue Spongebob sock and one red Thomas the Train sock inside those wellies and no one cares.

Each of the boys has their own kid-sized rake. These were super cheap little numbers that Farmer B got at Toys R Us. For about $6 each, these wooden handle rakes work great and look just like the "grown up" rakes that we use. We also bought the boys a Sears Craftsman Mini Utility Shovel. Farmer B got this on sale at Sears for $5. It's a real shovel, but it's the perfect size for the boys to use - it's very heavy duty and isn't designed to be a kid's tool.
I have no idea why an adult would need a small shovel though - maybe to take with you on your ATV for some off-road mini-digging? Who knows?

We also have some great kids gloves, courtesy of Aidan's Aunt Karen. These little green gloves have a praying mantis on them and look scary, which is uber-cool if you're a kid. I found them here at Insect Lore and the price is right at less than $3, currently on sale. The boys also grabbed their buckets and shovels out of the sandbox and have relocated them in the garden. It's all about making sure they know that this big rectangle of dirt is also their rectangle of dirt… so digging and getting down and dirty is the icing on the cake for them.