Growing Up Gardening
The Rewards of Gardening With Your Children
William Wordsworth once said, “Let nature be your teacher.” He was just one of the many scholars who believed that nature was therapeutic for the soul and provided an abundance of lessons – especially for children. One of the best (and most fun) ways for them to experience the outdoors is through gardening.
Gardening has been prevalent in our culture for thousands of years. However, it is only in recent years that people started to realize the benefits of gardening for children.
Gardening offers children multiple advantages,” says Dr. Susan H. Turben, a nationally recognized child development specialist. “Aside from the obvious health benefits of being outside and active in the fresh air, gardening adds a sense of calm and tranquility to their lives, which can sometimes be hard to find in today’s world.”
From family time to learning time, the benefits of gardening for children are numerous. Consider everything gardening has to offer:
Nature Appreciation. Through the eyes of a child, the world is a place full of magic and opportunities. As we grow older, some people lose or take for granted the beauty of their outdoor surroundings. Getting your child involved in a hobby like gardening at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of respect and appreciation for nature and the environment. Think of it also as a science lesson taken outdoors. Through gardening, children will learn about how a seed transforms itself into a flower or how water makes a garden grow. The science lessons that can be found in the garden are endless.
Family Fun. In an age where video games, the internet and cable TV are prevalent among children, gardening is an activity that brings families together. A quiet and peaceful hobby, gardening is free of the distractions often found inside of the home. It provides the opportunity for parent and child to be alone, talk and listen to one another – an occasion that just can’t happen often enough. Gardening is also a means for grandparents to bond with their grandchildren as they share a lifetime’s worth of knowledge, not just about gardening, but about life in general.
Responsibility. Gardens are like anything else in the world in that they need nutrients and water to grow. Through gardening, children will learn one of life’s most important lessons – understanding responsibility. They will see first hand that if they are not there to nourish and water their garden, it won’t grow.
“It’s important that children be taught responsibility at an early age, whether it’s being assigned a household chore or being responsible for a living thing,” says Dr. Turben. “This provides the foundation for becoming a responsible adult.”
Sense of Accomplishment. Parents can help ensure a positive gardening experience for their children by making available the proper tools. Children like to mimic the actions of adults, so give them tools that are durable enough for actual digging and planting. A new line of children’s tools from Troy-Bilt© marketed under the name of The Budding Gardeners are sized for small hands but feature real wood handles and steel implements so the won’t break, even in the toughest soil. The complete gardening kit includes a wheelbarrow, watering can, everything young gardeners need to get off to the right start. There are also a variety of long-handle tools and even an apron to make kids feel right at home in the garden.
Patience.It’s important to learn that good things come to those who wait. Gardening is one of those activities that do not produce instantaneous results. Therefore, your children must learn to be patient and tolerant if they wish to see the results of their work. Once they do, however, they will feel great satisfaction as they watch their garden grow and change. They will learn that the steps involved in creating a garden – planning the garden, preparing the soil, and planting and nourishing the plants, are worth the effort.
For more ideas on how to make gardening an important part of your child’s life, visit www.buddinggardeners.co.uk. There you’ll also find a variety of games, contests and other activities that can help make gardening a year-round hobby.
Practical tips for gardening with your children:
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Plant quick-growing items such as lettuce, beans, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, marigolds or bachelor buttons.
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Choose flowers that can be “picked” as a special gift for Mom, like zinnias or salvia.
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Children love something to be their “very own” so make plant stakes or labels that say “Jack’s zinnias,” “Eileen’s beans,” etc.
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Start a compost bin for grass clippings, shredded leaves and vegetable matter that can later be recycled into composted soil that is nutritious for plants.
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Make sure your garden gets plenty of sunshine and water to help your plants grow. Remind your children to water gently, like the raindrops.
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Ask your children if they were a plant, what kind would they be and why? What would they want the gardener of their plant to know?
