Gardening with Kids – A Great Way for a Healthy Start
By Pallavi Agarwal | Health and Wellness Writer and Editor
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Just Gardening engages all the senses. Squish your hands in the dirt. How does it feel? Let’s add some water. What does it look like now? How does that flower smell? You grew a vegetable, let’s eat it and see how it tastes. Hear that crunch when we bite into it? Did you notice, it’s easy to incorporate sensory play into a gardening activity! Having said that, gardening with kids is a great way for a healthy start.
Henry enjoys watching his son admire his own personal garden—and learn valuable life lessons in the process.
When Orion, was one and half years old, we moved to a new house and lucky enough to have some space to plant in our backyard. This year we planted basil, cilantro, rosemary, rasberries, and Mother nature best box of crayons in our garden.
I’m really happy that Orion will grow up planting and taking care of his favorite fruits in our garden. When my wife asked him, what was his favorite part of the long weekend, his answer was – “Planting our garden with Mommy and Daddy.” You should have seen the grin that appeared on his proud mama’s face.
Kids won’t garden with the same diligence you do. They’ll get distracted and collect bugs, sticks or stones, and drive toys through the soil. And that’s just fine. Whether you are simply planting seeds in a flowerpot, tending to a large outdoor garden or something in between like caring for a terrarium, gardening with kids has many benefits.
It will encourage them to eat fruits and veggies
Research has shown that when kids have a part in growing their own vegetables, they’re more likely to eat them. Another study, from the University of Florida in 2016, found that the effects of gardening with kids continue into adulthood, as college students ate half a cup more fruits and veggies if they were young growers.
It’s a fun exercise
Get your kids to put down the tablet and give you a hand.
They’ll get covered in good bacteria
Researchers have noted that kids who come in contact with more microbes—say, from growing up on a farm—have lower rates of allergies.
Gardening introduces kids to scientific concepts
What makes the leaves green? What do plants need to thrive? How much water does the plant need? Explore science together while gardening — once again proving that learning can be fun.
Gardening fosters family bonding
Gardening is a great family activity. Consider a “pizza garden” — one that grows ingredients each member of the family loves on their pizza, such as tomatoes for sauce, onions for mom and dad, and green peppers for the kids.
Gardening develops environmental responsibilities
Once children see how much time and effort goes into gardening, they will likely become more empathetic towards those who help put food on our tables every day. Use this time to talk about the importance of local farmers and taking care of our planet by recycling and not littering.
Gardening teaches patience
Growing from seed to producing plant can take weeks! There’s no better teacher of patience than gardening. But we promise it’s always worth the wait!
SIMILAR READS: The Benefits of Cooking with Kids, Importance of Yoga for Kids Development
