Admin There’s something really special about spending time with kids outside in the garden. Whether it’s your own kids, grandchildren or other family members it can be such a rewarding experience to inspire a love of nature. Not only is being in the garden rewarding, it’s an inexpensive, environmentally-friendly activity. We all try and do our bit for the planet, but that’s only really sustainable if we’re also educating our children to do the same and they feel a connection with their environment.
Sometimes our garden can be a place of solace too, so why should we consider inviting children into our haven and get them gardening? Here are some of the benefits that gardening could easily provide the children with:
Science in planting
Children are indirectly taught the wonders of science like the plant’s life cycle and how human’s intervention can break or make the environment. They can have a first hand experience on the miracle of life through a seed. This would definitely be a new and enjoyable experience for the kids.
Life
Watching a seed grow into a tree is just as wondrous as the conception to birth and growth of a child. In time, kids will learn to love their plants and appreciate the life in them. Gardening could actually help simulate how life should be treated — it should be with care. The necessities to live will be emphasised to kids with the help of gardening – water, sunlight, air, soil. Those necessities could easily be corresponded to human necessities, i.e., water, shelter, air, food. By simply weeding out, one could educate how bad influences should be avoided to be able to live life smoothly.
Relaxation
Studies show that gardening can reduce stress because of its calming effect. This is applicable to any age group. More so, it stimulates all the five senses. Believe it or not, gardening may be used as therapy to children who have been abused or those who are members of broken homes. It helps build one’s self-esteem.
Quality Time with the Family
You can forget about your stressful work life for a while and be soothed by the lovely ambience in the garden. You can play and spend quality time with your children. You can talk while watering the plants or you can work quietly beside each other. The bottom line is, always do what you have to do, together with your kids. You might discover a lot of new things about your child while mingling with them in your garden. Let kids become aware of their environment’s needs. And one way to jumpstart that environmental education may be through gardening. It’s hitting two birds with one stone — teach them to respect life while you bond with them.