Pull the Weeds
What you need
- a bucket and a pair of gardening gloves each
- a small trowel or an old spoon
How to do it
- Find a patch of path, gravel or border with weeds in it, and pull one together so they see how: grip low, near the soil, and pull slowly.
- Let them pull weeds into the bucket, loosening stubborn ones with the trowel first.
- Stop and look at the roots together: long and thin, short and fat, with soil clinging on?
- Tip the bucket onto the compost heap or into the garden bin, and stand back to look at the clear patch.
Why it matters
A weed that snaps off teaches them more than one that comes out whole: next time, they grip lower and pull slower.
What they're learning
- Grip and pull
- Low down, slow and steady.
- Looking at roots
- Long, short, thin or fat.
- Sticking with a job
- A whole patch, weed by weed.
What to look for
Notice them moving their grip lower after a weed snaps.
A tip
Gloves on for both of you, check for nettles, thistles and anything prickly first, and wash hands afterwards. Only pull what you've shown them is a weed.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: weed between paving stones, where the weeds come out easily
Harder: keep the roots and line them up from longest to shortest
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Everyday helper activities · Toddler activities with a spoon