When my son was two (he is now five) we bought him a childrens wheelbarrow, it became quickly his favourite toy and he spends hours walking after me in the garden each Summer collecting all the veges in it and taking them back to the kitchen.

In Autumn he carries all the bulbs in it and follows me around the garden planting bulbs.

In Winter he helps me cart the compost into the vegetable beds, helps his father carry logs from the woodshed, carries the straw to the animals and makes witches potion in it with his brother and sister.

And in Spring he fills it with compost and then it is his height for using the compost for potting up seedlings hes grown etc.

Money well spent!

We also bought our children 'I SPY' books with trees and flowers in so they could learn the different varieties...They loved these books and now know so much more that looking around gardens is more interesting for them.

My youngest has always loved the thrill of waiting for things to happen. e,g What colour is the foxglove going to be when it comes out? Looking under the rhubarb forcer lid (daily)for the rhubarb to grow, searching for signs of bulbs coming up!

I could waffle for hours about the joy looking for insects can give. Again they need a reference book with really clear pictures so they can tick in the book what they find. It doesn't matter if they can't read the text. They can make old wood piles for stag beetles, hang hollow tubes for bumble bees etc

When my daughter was four she used to spend hours wandering around the garden collecting acorns, little twigs, interesting leaves etc and making fairy houses at the bases of trees. Wish I had photographed them now.

I find that children get excited about what ever you find exciting so if you put enough enthusiasm and talk a lot about the little things in gardening they will want to be part of it. Plus they just love having your attention. I could talk endlessly about this subject because gardening and children are my life really.