How Plant Markers in a Zoo Garden Can Help Children Learn
A great summer activity to share with kids is a visit to the nearby zoo. Looking at all the different animals in creation offers hours of enjoyment. You can also have some animal-inspired fun with kids you love right in your own backyard. A zoo garden combines a love of being outdoors with a love of animals – at least animal names. A zoo garden is your very own collection of plants with interesting animal titles. There are literally dozens of such plants waiting to be given a home in your backyard “wild kingdom”. So grab some plant markers and let the kid-fun begin.
Zoo Gardens are Great Learning Tools
Educators give a big green “thumbs up” to zoo gardens because they teach in layers through a medium that kids enjoy – digging in the dirt! A zoo garden will promote responsibility, observation and identification skills and the basics of horticulture. What child wouldn’t have a blast describing why a plant is called Lamb’s Ear or Cat’s Whiskers?
Have your child help you as you research garden plants with fun animal names. You’ll both be surprised by the selection. With your child, select a few and then give the child a small portion of your garden in which to grow their zoo. Have them carefully identify each one with plant markers. Don’t be surprised if your child invites other children over to visit the zoo.
A Beginning List of Zoo Garden Plants
Are there really that many animal-named plants? You bet. Here are just a few for starters:
Bear’s Breeches
Bee Balm
Butterfly Bush
Cat’s Whiskers
Cranesbill
Elephant Ear
Escargot Begonia
Foxglove
Foxtail Fern
Horsetail Rush
Kangaroo Paws (shown here)
Lion’s Ear Plant
Pussy Willow
Rabbit’s Foot Fern
Staghorn Fern
Tiger Lily
Zebra Grass
Gardening With Kids Makes Lifetime Memories
If you have a special child in your life, you want to make your time together count. Many gardeners recall how a parent or grandparent shared a love of gardening with them as a child. Those hours spent digging together and watching the wonder of nature created lifelong memories. It isn’t about coming up with something exciting or expensive to share, it’s about sharing a meaningful experience together and gardening offers a great solution to the “what to do together” problem. Plus, zoo gardens are just a lot of fun.
Not only do you want to select the right plants, but you’ll want to select the right plant markers for your zoo adventure. At Kincaid Plant Markers we provide only top-quality markers for the garden. Our markers are preferred by professional gardeners, recreational gardeners and, yes, zoo gardeners. Check out our line of products and get ready for your own version of Noah’s Ark in the yard with a young child this summer.
