One of my favorite ways to teach my children about nature is by visiting Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia #InmarIdeasThatMatter. The botanical garden is a historic property with more than 50 acres of gardens. A Children’s Garden, Rose Garden, Asian Valley, and a Cherry Tree Walk are just a few of the beautiful gardens and trails. I love to bring my children to the botanical garden during each season so they can learn about the life cycle of plants and the ecosystem. I encourage you to take your children to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden because there are so many benefits. Here are 3 fun activities you can do with your children while you’re there:
Activity 1: Journaling/Mindfulness
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a beautiful place to expand your child’s imagination. While visiting, you can bring along a journal for your child and have them write about all the plants and flowers they see. Younger children can simply just draw pictures of the plants and flowers. The botanical garden is very spacious so you will have enough space to sit on the grass and allow your child to journal. Journaling in nature is also a great way to practice mindfulness. While journaling, have your child listen to the sounds of nature. I also encourage parents to join their child and journal as well.
Journal Prompts:
1).What was your favorite flower at the botanical garden?
2).How did you feel when you were walking throughout the gardens and nature trails?
Activity 2: Themed Gardens Education
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has so many beautiful themed gardens so this is a great opportunity to teach your child about the similarities and differences of themed gardens. There are a lot of original gardens around the world that hold medical plants to meet the health needs of their community. For this activity, you can have your child learn about the different benefits of gardens around the world. Lewis Ginter Botanical gardens has signs throughout discussing the different plants and benefits.
Activity 3: Volunteer/Donate
Educating your child on the importance of helping their community will have life long benefits. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden offers volunteer opportunities as well as various ways to donate. Volunteering as a family is a great opportunity to give back to the community.
I hope you were inspired to do these activities with your child on your next visit to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. I also encourage you to visit other botanical gardens when your travel with your family. Also, be sure to check out my blog post Stress-Free Summer Bucket List for Kids.
XO,
Ashley
