Benefits of Gardening with Kids
The warmer months have arrived, and if your family is anything like mine, you are ready to spend as much time outside as possible soaking up the sun and enjoying nature. Sunshine itself is sure to lighten the mood, and using the outdoor opportunity to plant flowers and vegetables can be rewarding for your entire family—and a great learning experience for your kids. Here are some long-term benefits of gardening for you and your entire family.
Family bonding time
Gardening is a great way to get kids involved in a project the whole family can do together. Planting flowers and vegetables gives everyone a chance to set aside electronics, enjoy the fresh air and work together on a family project. You’ll have a chance to see your kids explore new sensations as they dig in the dirt, plant seeds and water their vegetation. “I started when my daughter was very little. It took some time, but we now have it down,” says Michelle Lyons, mom of three. “It is actually quite bonding for us. At this point, we both know our parts and we just put on our gloves and go.” The best family bonding usually happens when everyone is working on a shared goal.
Education
Gardening is a great way to teach your kids about nature, science and math. They will learn how plants grow, how to identify plants by name, how to measure spacing for planting and how to protect your garden. You can take the lessons one step farther and check out books from the library about gardening, watch an educational video or visit a community garden to learn more about plants and flowers. Some families also find that starting a compost bin helps their kids learn about the environment and how our waste affects it. The compost gives your garden a natural boost, as well as reducing waste.
Life lessons
In the process of starting and caring for your garden, your children will have the opportunity to learn the value of hard work, the importance of patience while waiting for their seeds to grow and the responsibility of caring for the garden each day. They’ll also be rewarded with the fruits—or vegetables—of their labor. “We took our daughter to the nursery and let her pick out a flowering plant that she could grow in a pot,” says Amy Cameron, Olathe mom of three. “She was responsible for taking care of it and even named it!” The best life lessons often happen when you don’t know you are learning them.
Healthy eating habits
The best reason to plant and take care of a garden is the reward of tasting your crop. Kids who would normally turn up their noses at tomatoes, bell peppers or cucumbers are much more likely to give them a try if they have planted, cared for and watched the food grow themselves. Cultivating a love of eating healthy fruits and vegetables at a young age is a great way to encourage lifelong healthy eating habits.
No one will tell you that planting and caring for a garden is easy, but most will say it is well worth the effort when you are able to harvest your own fresh produce or flowers to enjoy. “My best advice is to take it slow,” says Jessica Schaben. “It’s so easy to overdo it and become overwhelmed. As soon as it becomes more work than fun, it’s easy to give up. Once you have established a few vegetables, add one or two more. A plentiful garden takes patience and time, but it’s worth the wait.”
Tips to Get Your Garden Growing
- Start small and be realistic. You can’t expect to plant a garden and leave it. You will need to water, weed and prune your plants. All of this takes time. Find a good balance that matches your lifestyle.
- Find a sunny spot. Vegetables need full sun to grow. Plan your garden in an area that gets a good amount of sunshine.
- Plant things you enjoy eating. You may be able to grow radishes and tomatoes easily, but if your family doesn’t enjoy eating them, you’ll be wasting time and money. Choose vegetables you know your family will love.
- Do your research. There are plenty of videos, books and articles about how to garden. Find out what will work best for your space, climate and time commitment before planting. Visit Family Tree Nursery or Colonial Gardens to talk with their experts on what will work best in your space.
Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom living in Olathe with her husband and their six children.