Millions of kids love to join their mums and dads in the garden – and little ones like to water the plants most of all

MILLIONS of Brit kids are getting out in nature by helping their mums and dads pot plants, mow the lawn and grow veggies.

A survey of 1,000 parents and 1,000 grandparents of children aged 5 to 12 found green-fingered children love getting outdoors.

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As many as 60 per cent of little ones are now growing vegetables with their parents or guardians.

One in six of those polled named a sunflower as their children's favourite plant.

Watering the garden, planting bulbs, and potting plants were deemed the best garden activities to share with a youngster, while 21 per cent enjoy filling up the bird bath.

Gardening guru Kate Turner from Miracle-Gro, which commissioned the survey, said: "It's amazing that so many youngsters are being inspired to take up such an important life skill.

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“Not only that but spending time with loved ones outdoors can be such a special experience that families can cherish for years.

“That’s why we’re working with Greenfingers - a national charity dedicated to supporting life-limited children and their families who spend time in hospices around the UK – to assist with a therapeutic garden within ‘The Nook’, a purpose-built children’s hospice in Norfolk.”

The study also found 47 per cent spent the various lockdowns teaching new things to the young people in their care.

With gardening topping the list, 40 per cent also showed them around the kitchen to improve their cooking skills, and 16 per cent passed on sewing skills.

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And 64 per cent of those polled hope their child or grandchild grows up to be green-fingered.

A further 43 per cent believe gardening is beneficial to their youngster’s mental health, while eight in 10 want youngsters to spend more time outdoors than inside watching TV.

Top reasons for this are that it’s better for their health (70 per cent) and it helps them burn off excess energy (56 per cent).

But 57 per cent think it’s important for kids to have an interest in nature, as they are the generation that’s going to have to ‘save the planet’.

And 85 per cent look forward to the bond that can develop by spending time in the garden with their children or grandchildren.

It also emerged half of respondents have spent more time gardening than in the pre-pandemic times, which has meant 37 per cent of children have been outside more too, according to the OnePoll data.

Almost nine in 10 enjoy teaching their kids or grandchildren new things, with 70 per cent having fond memories of learning new skills from their own parents or grandparents.

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Kate Turner, from Miracle-Gro, which has launched a special edition ‘Greenfingers’ peat-free compost pack to support the charity, added: “Not only does spending time with loved ones in the outdoors create an incredible bond between families, but a there is a huge wealth of knowledge that can be passed down from parents and grandparents.

“Getting kids interested from a young age can foster a love of gardening and the outdoors that can last a lifetime and the memories can also live on forever.”