Melbourne kids encouraged to garden

Children from right across Melbourne spent the weekend learning how to create the perfect  garden space in their backyards thanks to a family event hosted at Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens.

During a recent family fun day hosted at the facility, children were encouraged to participate in face painting, games and a sausage sizzle, while mums and dads learned more about creating sustainable garden spaces on their properties, the Cranbourne Leader reported.

If you have young children at home, a kid-friendly garden DIY project is the perfect opportunity to teach your little ones about where food comes from.

You might want to start out small with a herb garden, lettuce or spinach - which your child can help you pick and transform into a tasty salad - and then move on to other easy-to-grow fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, snap peas and even carrots and potatoes.

Children can then be encouraged to pick and enjoy their own tasty, fresh snacks - or work together with mum and dad to turn them into delicious recipes.

US first lady Michelle Obama is one of many children's gardening advocates across the globe. The White House Kitchen Garden is visited by schoolchildren each year and recipes incorporating the fresh produce are shared with children around the world on the official White House blog.