Spring in Utah isn't just a beautiful time to enjoy the warmer weather, it is also a great time to get outside with your kids and start your own family garden. A new guide, titled "Get Your Family’s Garden Growing" released by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) shows just how easy and fun it can be to garden with your kids. The new guide is part of the NWF’s Be Out There movement and is being released in celebration of May as Garden for Wildlife Month.

Get Your Family’s Garden Growing is a simple 6 step how-to guide that provides the basics for even the most novice gardeners to start planting. The 6 easy to adopt steps include:

1. Plan. Make a plan for your space and interests.

2. Shop, Swap and Borrow. Shop for materials or borrow from neighbors and friends.

3. Prepare. Put your plan into motion by getting your garden plot ready.

4. Plant. Get seeds and seedlings into the ground.

5. Maintain. Water, weed and cultivate your garden together.

6. Enjoy. Enjoy all the benefits of your new garden space.

“Whether you are new to gardening or a seasoned professional, this guide has great ideas for planting in large and small spaces alike,” says Lindsay Legendre, manager of NWF’s Be Out There movement. “It also includes fun gardening projects and ways to get kids involved, like planting a pizza garden, growing your initials, growing and eating a rainbow, and more.”

Kids today spend twice as much time indoors as their parents did, missing out on the simple pleasures and lasting mental and physical health benefits of daily outdoor time. Children who spend more time outside are more likely to live an active lifestyle, maintain a healthier body weight, are less likely to be near-sighted, have higher vitamin D levels, display more empathy and less stress, have better mental health and have increased attention spans and improved critical thinking skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 1 hour of outside play per day. NWF’s practical tools and information help make being outside a fun, healthy and automatic part of everyday life for American families.

Download the full guide at www.beoutthere.org/garden  and get more tips and advice for parents.