Benefits of Gardening for Kids
A Garden Comes to Fruition:
In August 2018 we were blessed with our dear girl Rose, naturally she turned our world upside down in the best way possible. Though our world had changed, my husband was determined to acclimate our baby to the great outdoors within a matter of weeks. On a mid-morning nap I was awakened by the whirl of a table saw coming from our backyard. In haste I grabbed my robe as my mummy brain started to flutter with worry. My thought: “how is he running a table saw, when he has the baby?” You can imagine that at this point I am taking the stairs two by two.
Gardening for Kids
In addition , to new mommy angst, amusement washed over me as the backyard scene slowly came into view. Cascaded in sunshine, and rocking peacefully as the playful wind lured her to sleep was our sweet little girl. She was the absolute picture of peace. As for my husband, he had not only established prime real estate for our girl but he was hard at work constructing a massive garden box. All while I napped for less than an hour. With a pencil behind his ear, a wink and a small laugh he defused this mama. I would later learn that the kids would always be court side for every single project we would embark upon.
Gardening Teaches Valuable Lessons :
Moreover, what I didn’t realize is that these ventures were carefully and strategically planting seeds of adventure and independence in both of our children. Four years after that sweet memory, three more garden boxes have joined the first. In fact our garden now produces 50% of our grocery needs from April through late September. I never imagined that gardening and harvesting would teach my children such wonderful responsibilities and life lessons. Here are the 6 valuable lessons that gardening has taught my children.
Conservation:
Gardening is a great way to teach children about waste reduction and using only what you need. That includes the water we use, harvesting responsibly. And using green resources in the garden itself from the building materials, to the seeds and natural plant defenders we use.
Giving :
One of the best things about growing your own food is that you get to share the goodness with others. Our children get to learn that not everyone has access to fresh fruits and vegetables. And that can be true for someone far away or a child in the next neighborhood over. We have made commitments to donate some of our yield to the food bank at our church and to a community food bank that my sister Jen volunteers for.
Consistency:
Undoubtedly, gardening requires consistency from the first seedling all the way to the last harvest. In my first year of gardening I learned this very quickly as I forgot to water on a daily basis. Now as the children have gotten older, we have worked time in the garden and tasks into our daily routine. The kids have no problem picking and eating directly from the strawberry patch on a daily basis. naturally comes from it. Obviously, we must share our weakness and vulnerabilities with our children, even more so our unquestionable need for Jesus.
Gratefulness:
Our daughter Rose is a little picky when it comes to eating. Until we started gardening, she really didn’t like a lot of vegetables. But after picking, and washing her fair share of lettuce she enjoys a good salad. Being able to show our kids how much work goes into harvesting food has given them an appreciation for the things on our table.
Hard Work:
Without a doubt, gardening requires a lot of intentionality, patience, time and hard work. Some days require hours, while other days only demand a small increment of time. There is something about working with your hands and feeling aches at the end of a good day’s work. Teaching good work- edicate can start at any age, being able to do it outside is an added bonus. The kids are a huge part of the harvesting process and though they are only three and a half and two years old they enjoy every moment of it.
Ownership:
Furthermore, gardening is a wonderful vehicle to teach kids about ownership and responsibility. One of my favorite areas in the classroom was the imagination station. You know the one where the kids are able to dress up in different uniforms. Every job requires a certain dress code and teaching that young will be beneficial when the kids are searching for jobs of their own. When we garden we have a certain pair of shoes, gloves and tools that we use for the job at hand. I love this junior gardening kit from Amazon, it adds another layer of responsibility and fun.
-Patience
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