Fresh air and nature are healing. They have so many health benefits from lowering stress levels to helping improve digestion, that we should all be spending far more time in our gardens if we are lucky enough to have them.
If you have a garden but you don’t spend as much time out there as a family as you would like, here are a few things that might help you to change that:
Build a patio
If you don’t already have one, check out these brilliant patio designs and think about having one put into our garden. Why? Because it provides the whole family, with the addition of a few chairs and tables, with a pleasant place to sit and enjoy the outdoors. It helps to bring the outdoors in – it’s as simple as that.
Build an outdoor kitchen
Eating together as a family is a great way to bond and find out how everyone is doing, and if your family are anything like mine, they love to eat. So, by building your own garden kitchen, which is not as difficult as you might think, is a sure-fire way to get them outdoors enjoying the fresh air and birdsong along with their BBQ ribs.
Create a play area
If you have young children, creating a fun little play area for them is a great way to encourage them outdoors. Section off a corner of the garden, and add a sandpit, slide swing and wendy house and pretty soon you’ll have trouble convincing them to come indoors. Just make sure you get stuck in and play with them too, after all, it’s all about spending time together as a family.
Consider getting a hot tub
Hot tubs aren’t just for the private time between mum and dad – the whole family will enjoy sitting in the tub watching the stars or reading a good book or whatever as they take in lots of fresh air and feel the warmth of the water on their skin. Hot tub mot your thing. A pool is a good alternative as long as you ensure that you make it as child-friendly as possible.
Plant a vegetable patch
If you plant a vegetable patch, the whole family will soon be migrating to the garden to see what their strawberries are doing or to look for the first signs that their potatoes are ready to harvest. It will also provide you all with good outdoor exercise, and if you have young children, it’ll be a great way to teach them a bit about where food comes from.
Attract wildlife
Attracting birds, butterflies and maybe even squirrels to the garden is a great way to get the family together in the garden, You can spend your time watching the antics of the animals, drawing pictures so them or even taking part in scientific studies like the Big Bird Watch and you will all have a lot of fun, and get plenty of fresh air, as you do so.
Have fun in the garden!