I started gardening several years ago and really didn’t know a whole lot about it or how it would turn into a major passion in my life. I thought it would be cool to grow a few things to eat and that would be the extent of it, but those few things have since turned into my urban backyard garden. Gardening has been huge in providing stress relief amidst all the chaos around me. I’ve seen the joy that can come when we get our kids out in the garden with us and wanted to share how we can get our kids involved in gardening.
Why you should get your kids gardening? Recent studies have shown that gardening can positively affect the overall well-being of our children. Brain function can improve through children’s curiosity to ask questions about various things that are occurring in the garden and help them to get a better understanding of science. Gardening consists of physical activities like lifting, digging, raking, pulling weeds, which can help physically strengthen kid’s bodies and give them more physical activity. Gardening can enliven the child’s spirit through connecting with nature and away from electronic devices.
Caring for something-We have the natural tendency to be self-absorbed as human beings. Getting your kids involved in gardening helps them to learn how to nurture and care for a living thing. It can take them outside of the “me first” attitude that can carry over to how they see the world. If they learn how to care for plants, think of all the good they can do caring for the world around them.
Joy in Nature– Being in nature tends to bring a calming effect. There is a peace that comes being in nature and just observing the beauty around us.
Eating Healthy– I don’t know about you, but getting my kids to eat healthy is a constant battle in our home. Our kids tend to gravitate more towards the snack pantry, then the veggie tray, but my kids truly enjoy picking things to eat out of the garden. The food grown from the garden contains more vitamins, tastes better, and you don’t have all the pesticides and things to worry about.
Teaching Tool– There are so many parables and life lessons that have originated from gardening. We can use the time we are out in the garden to instill the values that we want our children to learn through teaching moments. We can teach them about science and how nature works.
Gets them outdoors– Our kids are spending more and more time indoors on electronic devices. Gardening is another thing that can help to get your children enjoying the outdoors. Even if you don’t have that monster backyard to let the kids roam, you can still create a garden space your kids can enjoy. Many successful gardens are done on terraces, patios, in small yards, and small spaces.
Family Activity– Incorporating our kids into activities that we enjoy is a great way to spend more time with our kids. Kids appreciate any time that we can spend together. The time we spend together allows us to get to know our kid’s needs, so take time to listen while you are gardening together.
How do you get kids excited about gardening? Here are 6 ideas to try:
Grow stuff they like– Your kids will get more excited about growing things if it’s things that they enjoy. If you are just growing things like spinach and kale, it may be a tough sell, but mixing in various fruits and berries with the vegetables, will get your kids involved with the garden. It could be that your kids really enjoy seeing different colors, so maybe a flower garden would be more exciting. Some of the seed catalogs I get are very colorful, so have them shop from the seed catalog to pick out things that interests them.
Find bugs– It’s inevitable that when you garden it’s going to attract bug’s both good ones and pests. My kids love exploring the garden to find various bugs to put in their bug catcher. We have found various caterpillars and put them in a butterfly cage to watch them transform. My kids also like digging around for worms or Rollie Pollie bugs that are in the soil. You can make a game out of it by creating a bug scavenger hunt. Create a bingo type game card with various images and names of bugs they may find in your garden and turn the kids loose to bug hunt.
Get them their own tools-I tend to find my gardening tools lying around the backyard after my kids get hold of them. They tend to get excited and want to use the pick axe or shovels that daddy is using. Getting them their own gardening tools will make them feel more pride in gardening and take ownership.
Make fun planters– A garden doesn’t have to be in the ground on a large plot of land. Container gardening is a major theme in our urban environments. There are many creative ways to make a container garden, but whatever you do, allow the kids to be part of the construction, and have them decorate the container with paints or however they choose. Just make sure that you have adequate drainage for your containers.
Start a garden today and get your kids involved in a hobby that will provide so much more than just a few vegetables. Gardening will be a great way for your kids to experience youth wellness and live life well!
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photo credit: Wha’ppen <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/9495733@N05/1366664930“>Discovery, Wonder, and Amazement</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com“>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/“>(license)</a>
