Sharing your passion for ponding with the kiddos in your life can be a gratifying experience. Ponding offers a plethora of opportunities for discovery and creativity—and sharing your love for it offers a unique opportunity for bonding. In this blog, we'll explore different ways to introduce the world of ponding to children and ignite a lifelong passion for aquatic adventures.

First Things First—Safety, Safety, Safety!

Before we jump into the ponding excitement, we first must stress how important safety is with children around a pond. Prior to approaching the pond with kids, take some time to talk to them about the importance of safety around water and set rules for when they can and can’t be by the pond. Of course, they should be supervised at all times around open bodies of water. It’s also a great idea to install a fence around the pond with a safety latch on the gate that prevents kids from opening the gate, and a gate alarm that will alert you if they do open it. In fact, some counties may even have laws in place that require a fence. A couple of other safety precautions that you can deploy include securing a pond cover over the pond, and if you don’t have fish adding a motion sensored pool alarm is a great idea. This will alert you if anything enters the water. If you have young children at home you can also consider enjoying a pondless waterfall until the children are old enough to understand water safety.

After you’ve taken necessary safety precautions, then it’s time for the fun!

Get Hands-On with Pond Exploration

Kids love to explore, and ponds are a treasure trove of fascinating discoveries. Equip your little adventurers with nets, buckets, and magnifying glasses, and venture to your water garden. Encourage them to observe aquatic life, spot fish and frogs, and study water plants. Ask questions and encourage curiosity to make the experience engaging and educational.

Teach them about Your Fish

If you have fish, teach your little explorers all about them—what they eat, why they eat it and what they need in the pond environment to survive. We designed this Fun Koi Fish Facts sheet with words from Helena Hileman, President of the Washington Koi and Water Garden Society especially for you to share with kids. Learn fascinating facts about our colorful aquatic friends, from their origins in Japan to their special care needs.

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Pond Themed Arts & Crafts

Engage kids in creating pond-themed arts and crafts, such as making fish-shaped mobiles or painting watercolor water lilies. These creative projects stimulate their artistic expression and reinforce their connection with the pond environment.

Hop right into creativity with our frog coloring handout! Grab a box of crayons and bring this adorable amphibian to life. Don't forget to share your masterpieces with our ponding community on Facebook!

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Create a Miniature Pond

Involve kids in creating a small water container garden. Let them pick out water plants and decorative elements to design their personalized aquatic wonderland. This hands-on approach nurtures a sense of ownership and responsibility for their mini pond.

Pond-Related Storytime

Make ponding even more exciting by incorporating storytelling. Find children's books like this one that revolve around ponds, aquatic life, or water adventures. Gather the kids around for storytime, allowing them to immerse themselves in the magical world of ponds through the power of imagination.

Feed the Fish Together

Feeding pond fish is a joyful experience, one that’s even more enjoyable with kids. Koi are especially fun to feed due to their activeness and beauty. They can even be trained to eat out of your hand which is sure to get some giggles from the little ones. If you’re not hand feeding, we suggest selecting a floating fish food or snack, so you all get a great view of your colorful fish. Microbe-Lift Big Bites and Tetra Koi Vibrance are great food choices, and for snacks we suggest Aquascape Koi Krunchies or even frozen peas or seedless watermelon.

More Opportunities & Ideas Across the Internet

There are so many ways to enjoy the pond life with kids. We found additional ideas across the web including this interactive pond game from PBS Kids, and directions to create a frog puppet in this blog post from The Kindergarten Connection. Aquascape even offers a program called “Ponds for Kids” where you can apply to work with a Certified Aquascape Contractor to build a pond at your kid’s school or learning environment. It’s a great opportunity. Check that out here.

Sharing your love for ponding with kids opens a world of wonder, curiosity, and environmental awareness. Through hands-on experiences, creative activities, and educational adventures, kids can develop a deep appreciation for the beauty of aquatic life. Whether exploring real ponds, crafting pond-themed art, or nurturing a mini pond garden, the journey of ponding with kids is bound to create cherished memories and a lifelong love for the wonders of water. Let the aquatic adventures begin!