In these times of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns and social distancing, where are the kids?

On a couch, in front of the TV, a mobile phone in hand or maybe a PlayStation? Right?

I can almost hear a collective sigh from the parents!

One way to get the kids to move, is to do what Kate Middleton, the future queen of England did. Design a play garden for your kids just as she did for her own kids!

I know, you, dear parents will say, “How can we? We are not royalty”.

But that is the beauty of the concept. Everyone can make a play garden, even if you have a limited amount of space. Either indoors or outdoors.

Outdoors: Involve your kids in selecting pots and plants and order them online. Prefer native varieties with different textured leaves. Also add kitchen herbs and greens. Source information for nurturing plants from the internet and teach your kids to pot the plants.

If you are lucky enough to have a tree in your garden then make a treehouse with simple planks and mesh. Install a birdfeeder and hang a rope swing with an old tire for a seat. Put in a small makeshift wooden bench and encourage them to sit outside. Make a sand pit for the very young ones where they can run their fingers through the sand.

Indoors: Challenge your kids mind to make a play garden in a flat! They will come up with the most innovative ideas. Give them seeds from the kitchen shelf like mustard and fenugreek and teach them to grow microgreens. Again all the information is available on the internet. Reward them when they show results, this teaches the kids that nature is also an important part of their lives. Utilize the balcony, even a corner of the balcony will suffice. First make the balcony safe with a protective iron grill. You can then make it into a small green corner. Install artificial turf on the floor. Teach the kids to pot the planters, decorate the planters with twigs, seashells, jute and other natural materials. Keep a water feature like a small fountain in the corner. Put in a jute jhoola.

The possibilities are endless.

But why should you go to all this trouble?

As Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge says, “90% of our brains are developed before the age of five and what a child experiences in those early years directly affects how the brain develops further”.

This is one of the reasons why you as parents, carers and family members should spend quality time in nature with kids from a really young age.

Why nature? Because being interactive amongst nature is highly beneficial for the physical and mental wellbeing of children.

Gift your child a green thumb and watch them flower into beautiful human beings!!