Gardening is an activity that is almost as old as man, dating as far back as 1500 BC. The activity has however evolved over time; going through from the early forms of forest gardening, cottage gardening to modern gardens at home. This has seen the act of gardening switch from being strictly an outdoor activity; to becoming an activity that can be done in the comfort of homes. As a result, a garden is an important part of any landscape design.
It is common knowledge, that the presence of a garden increases the appeal and overall value of a home; as most consumers are always on the lookout for homes with gardens, when they are house hunting. This is for a number of reasons, one of the most important, being that gardens are great for kids.
Benefits of Gardening With Kids
Truly, gardening with kids is an excellent outdoor activity, but the importance of gardening goes beyond just that. In fact, gardening with kids can be instrumental in getting the best out of your child’s brain, developing their bodies and also building them up emotionally.
The Effect Of Gardening On The Brain
Gardening affects the human brain in numerous ways. Children, being in their formative stage, are the most responsive to these benefits. Gardening provides kids with the chance to see nature at work, and in its full bloom. This serves as a practical representation of the scientific theories they must have been taught in their schools. It’s easier for them to understand processes such as photosynthesis, germination and decay of crops. They can experience all of these processes first hand, and it will pique their interest in unraveling all there is to learn about nature.
Assigning data collection duties to your kids can also help their mathematical abilities. There are a lot of numbers that can be worked with on a garden; such as counting the number of seeds to be planted, measuring the right amount of soil, and also accounts of time frame for the growth of each plant. Involving your kids in these in such calculations will help them in keeping proper records.
Gardening can also encourage more writing and reading, as you can easily instruct your kids to write about their daily experience on the garden. Children books on gardening would also help their reading culture. Keeping photo journals, and drawing diagrams of the plants cultivated will also improve the mental prowess of your children.
Food harvested from the garden, such as spinach and garlic, also contain brain developing vitamins and minerals that would increase the cognitive abilities of your child.
Pick Up a Book for Your Little Gardener!
The Effect Of Gardening On The Body
While the produce from gardens has a bodybuilding effect on the body, it is the act of gardening that has profound effects on children’s overall physical health. Vegetables and fruits which are usually cultivated in gardens are rich in nutrients and vitamins that help in building the body and developing the brain.
Gardening itself, provides kids with physical activities and help to hone their bodies. Tasks like tilling the ground, watering the plants, and moving heavy garden tools around can surely serve as a physical activity that can help kids stay fit. Aside from that, positioning the planters around the garden can also give them a sense of creativity and exercise their body at the same time. For various planter designs that you and your kids can choose from, make sure to check out Outdoor Art Pros! Also, spending time out in gardens improves the immune system of kids. This is because, doing so exposes them to a lot of dirt and germs early on, thereby enabling their immune system develop mechanisms against them. It’s quite important, as research has shown that children who are not exposed to germs at childhood are more susceptible to diseases such as asthma, allergies and many more. This is a result of underdeveloped immune systems.
Basking in the sunlight; as opposed to electrical lighting, receiving fresh air; different from air conditioning and also eating natural foods; unlike processed foods; all have proven to have great effects on a child’s growth.
The Effect Of Gardening On The Soul
In this age of smart gadgets and social media, kids find it hard to focus. It is easy for kids to get carried away by all that is happening online. This will hinder them from establishing close relationships with their siblings and parents.
Gardening, however, is the perfect activity to foster family bonds. Time together in the garden helps to improve the communication skills of children. The learn to communicate as they converse with their siblings and parents in the garden. The time spent together can also be crucial for monitoring your child’s development. You can keep up to date by discussing with them while going about your task.
Gardening also gives children a sense of responsibility, a trait that is needed early on in life. The division of the gardening labour will have your child taking up his duties very seriously.
The harvesting of produce which they planted by themselves can also improve the self esteem of children. This is because, seeing what they produced by themselves themselves make them feel useful and capable of carrying out tasks. Studies show that when kids are involved in gardening activities, their moods improve and anxiety levels decrease.
Recycling and using renewable resources, such as rainwater and food scraps, will also help understand how to care for nature. This will thereby promote environmental responsibility and eco-friendliness in the coming generation.
Gardening with kids has many benefits and plays a huge role in the development of a child. While it isn’t always the most important part of choosing a home, it should always be taken into consideration.
Author Bio: Thomas M. Strother is the blogger at spreaders.com which specialize in making spreaders and dump trucks from last 24 years. They provide quality products in agricultural areas like lime and fertilizer spreader, construction and other needs from tailgate salt spreader to litter spreader.