There are many studies that show that exposing children to nature at a young age helps ensure that they will feel more connected to the environment, have greater levels of empathy, a stronger immune system, and so much more. That’s why gardening with children is so important.
Here are some of the other benefits that gardening could easily provide the children with:
- Science
While gardening, children are indirectly taught many important science lessons like understanding the plant’s life cycle, weather, climate, seasons, insect life, and even have the opportunity to see wildlife in their own backyards. They can have a first hand experience on the miracle of life through a seed and come to understand how human’s can negatively or positively impact the environment.
- 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 emphasized 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 a more healthy life.
- 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 science education may be through gardening.