Our littlest grandson has been trying very, very hard to understand the seasons. It can be a confusing concept for young children to grasp, especially when seasons don’t behave as expected.

A couple of weeks ago we were treated to a very sunny afternoon. We’d been through a long spell of grey, dark, wet and uninspiring days. It was like that when we left to collect him from the nursery that afternoon. But on the drive home, out came the sun and we made the decision to stop off at a local play park. It was by the sea and bitingly cold. I thought, if I can endure the cold wind for 10 minutes or so, that’ll be enough time for all of us!

When we arrived at the play park he asked,

“Is it summer?”
“Do we have sun cream with us?”
“Can I have an ice cream, please?”

You’ve got to love them at 4 years old!

Last week I went on the hunt for a children’s book about the seasons, feeling it might help him understand more about the seasons. I was surprised to find such a large choice. I eventually settled on one, released only last year, with no reviews, but with fingers crossed I ordered it.

On Wednesday afternoon we made a start and read about winter. The illustrations are simple and easy to understand. Pages contain short bursts of information – just enough to be easily absorbed.

I particularly liked the seasons’ chart that told the story in a circular fashion. He traced the seasons’ chart round with a finger saying each one in turn, it was a good way to learn, and so, the book began to be referred to as ‘The Learning Book’.

We moved on to the transition from winter to early spring and looked at images of a few spring plants from the window to see if we could identify the daffodils. He was delighted to be able to pick out the little tete-a-tete growing in pots and in borders. Outdoors we looked at the crocuses, the hellebores, and the buds on the camellia.

We returned to the book, and talked about the worms under the soil and how seeds and bulbs grow into lovely flowers. He was attentive and engaged, identifying the creatures on the pages, and asking questions. I felt the book was doing its job.

This book covers many topics, Flowers & Bees, On the Farm, In the Garden, The Food Chain, Migration, Harvest Time and much more all in bite-size sentences that young children can relate to.

On Friday, when he returned, we went to the greenhouse, sowed some seeds in half-size trays and took them back to the house. They’ll be in the propagator for a few weeks then we’ll move on to pricking out and potting on.

Gardening comes naturally to children. It fills them with the wonder of nature and makes them appreciative of all living things, whether it’s bugs, wiggly worms or birds in the trees.

Flowers illustrate the beauty of nature and help explain the life cycle of perennial plants. Being able to plant and grow edible plants, from the simplest cress to salads to juicy strawberries, teaches them skills they’ll forever remember. They won’t be perfect little learners all the time, the garden is for running about, and finding things to do for themselves…such as turning one of my wooden obelisks into a climbing frame! But there are some things you just have to turn a blind eye to. 😀

It was a long, long time ago…but I remember gardening with my dad. 🙂 Did someone in your family influence your love of gardening?

As for the book, it’s a winner!