Heading out on a trip to the botanical gardens can be a fun and exciting way for a family to spend a day, but you need to do some planning to ensure it is a success. When you have children, virtually every place you go requires a bit of planning. Some parents try to wing it, and inevitably spend the day thinking about “I wish” moments that would have made the day easier. The botanical gardens are meant to be enjoyed, so take the time to consider some things ahead of time. Below are some common tips that might help you get the most out of your trip.
Tips for Visiting Botanical Gardens with Kids
While some children are naturally excited by the botanical experience, others aren’t so sure. They may have no interest in plants or no natural inclinations towards the outdoors. Don’t get frustrated. Everyone is an individual with their own tastes. You might want your child to be outside more, but they might naturally just prefer the indoors. There can be many causes for this. Sometimes there can even be allergies so you might investigate this before taking them to a place like the botanical gardens.
Create Excitement
You can create excitement by sharing some of the facts about plants. A good example of this would be their defense systems. For example, some plants have thorns to protect them while others excrete toxic chemicals. It’s a good idea to research the plants you will be seeing so that you have some details to share with your children. Kids are naturally fascinated by things like this.
Most botanical gardens have areas just for kids. These areas allow the children to enjoy a hands on experience so that they can better enjoy the gardens. This experience is also a learning one, so parents are as satisfied as children are by it. Talk about the things your children do at home for their plants around the yard. Discuss how those plants differ from the ones you are going to see. If your children have pets, you can talk about how good some plants are for pets and how toxic other ones can be. For example, lavender is soothing to most animals while poinsettias are poisonous to cats.
Prepare for the Trip
The most important consideration, as mentioned above, is to be prepared for allergies. Make sure your children take their allergy medication before they leave. If your children don’t have allergies that you know of, you may want to bring some OTC allergy medication for children just in case you inadvertently discover a new allergy. Some kids should probably avoid botanical gardens if their allergies are severe enough.
It’s also a good idea to apply some natural insect spray before you leave. Insects are a natural part of the ecosystem of plants so they are bound to be present. You don’t want to pollute the area with toxic chemicals…or your child’s body for that matter.
Try to avoid colognes, perfumes, and sweet smelling deodorants so that you and your family can enjoy the natural fragrant experiences of the botanical gardens.
Eat before you leave so that you don’t have to spend money on food when you came for the botanical experience.
The important thing is to have fun at the botanical gardens with your kids. You may be able to create a lifelong learner when it comes to plant life. You may even be able to show your indoor-loving child that there are wonders to see if he or she is only willing to step outside the front door.
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You can find more ideas for frugal summer fun for kids here as we share a new frugal summer activity for kids each day for 100 days!
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