Many of the Benefits of Gardening Last Well Into Adulthood
What if there was a magic fruit snack that would teach your kids math and science, help you bond over vibrant shared family experiences and, best yet, get your kids to love their veggies? There is no magic fruit snack, of course, but the benefits of gardening pack in all these great elements and more. When your child plucks their first cherry tomato from a plant they put in the ground and pops it right in their mouth, you may decide it’s a magic fruit snack.
Beginning a garden with a young child may take some time and work, but there are six benefits of gardening that will make any effort you put in well worth it:
- Your kids might just eat their veggies. Kids love to help choose the plants they’ll grow in their garden, dig their little fingers into the dirt and help pull weeds. And just wait until the day you hand them the garden hose to handle the watering. After weeks of working in the garden, they’ll be so proud to pick lettuce or grab a few tomatoes for your salad. Try to not let your mouth hang open when they gobble up that salad.
- It engages all the senses. You might be hard-pressed to find an activity that so fully engages your kids. The smell of the soil and the flowers, the sound of fruit being picked off a vine, the sight of food ripening right in their backyard and the taste of those homegrown veggies all make gardening a vibrant activity for kids.
- Your kids learn about persistence and discipline. Gardening isn’t a one-day project. Regular weeding and watering helps kids see the results of a project that extends over weeks and months. Even if they lose interest after the initial planting, be sure to say that you’re going out to tend the garden and invite them to come and play near you while you work. You’ll model for them the dedication that a long-term project requires.
- Gardening enhances fine motor skills. Your child will work on some of their most critical fine motor skills when handling tiny seeds, scooping dirt around the plant and pulling tiny weeds.
- It teaches math and science. From introductory botany to basic math concepts, gardening is a great little school. Have your kids help you figure out how many plants you can fit on a row or talk through why you’re planting in an area that gets sun. You can also talk about why flowers appear before you’ll see fruit, or why it’s good to see worms and bees around your garden. There are so many ways to teach your kids while your garden.
- You’ll create memories. Your kids may be too small to have lasting memories of the first time they put their fingers into the dirt to make a spot for a seed, but you’ll treasure the moments you spend together for years to come. If you keep at it, year after year, gardening will be a vibrant part of your kids’ memories of childhood.
If you’re staring at a mountain of laundry, a sink full of dishes and two or three small faces wanting your attention, the thought of adding a garden to your plans may seem unrealistic. Start with one pot of geraniums or a big tub with one tomato plant and you’ll reap the same benefits of gardening with your kids.
To teach your kids the benefits of a well-organized garden, invest in a set of Kincaid Plant Markers. Made for a lifetime of gardening, they’ll be part of making memories with your kids as you use them year after year.
