5 Wonderful Benefits of GardeNing With Your Children
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Hey sweet mama! Are you ready to grow some fantastic tasting produce this year?
Incase you can’t tell…..
I LOVE GARDENING!!
I find it very therapeutic, and enjoyable. Watching things grow strong and healthy, and then reaping the benefits from months of hard work is very rewarding.
Another great thing about gardening is that it goes hand in hand with homeschooling!!
I always have felt learning about botany while sitting in a classroom is soo
BORING!!!
Seriously…. Who wants to sit and memorize plant parts, have spelling/vocabulary tests about photosynthesis and chlorophyll, and learn to recite why we need all the green stuff around us anyways?
No wonder children don’t want to go out and explore the great out doors, or help protect the environment!
There are so so so SO many ways to make botany interesting, fun, and meaningful.
And you don’t have to live on a 50 acre farm to do it!!!
Granted, if you have your own little spot in the country, you have more choices and opportunities for how to garden (or grow anything for that matter). But even those of you who live in a city environment or an apartment complex, can make Botany an enjoyable learning experience for you and your child!! Things as simple as starting a mini indoor herb garden or purchasing a hanging tomato plant is a great alternative!
I feel there are many many benefits to gardening with kids. I have tried to condense these benefits into 5 categories.
1.) Gardening Teaches Children How to Build a Great Work Ethic
Learning how to be a hard worker is something missing from the American society. Many families spend their summers pursuing pleasures, which is not wrong in of itself. We enjoyed visiting the beach last year! It was a blast!
But teaching our children to create a balance between work and play is necessary. It is not something they start doing when they turn 18 because they are considered an adult.
Gardening helps children understand how you –
- Feel the reward and gratification of reaping the benefits of their labor.
- Develop self discipline- putting responsibility over self wants
- be consistent in any undertaking
- and the list goes on
There is something admirable about seeing a young person who isn’t afraid of hard work. Thus it also makes them a respectable person in society.
2.) Gardening Builds Their Self Esteem
We all have a sense of pride when we accomplish something! Children are no exception!
Low self esteem seems to have a strong grip on the young people of our nation. Suicide and drug use are at an all time high.
Gardening gives youth a sense of accomplishment and something to feel proud of, which in return boosts self esteem and self worth.
Do you have a child that seems to be always needing a challenge, or looking for a project that has purpose to it? Gardening could an option to fill that need!
Some children who struggle with behavior issues may find gardening therapeutic. It can give them purpose and the recognition that they crave.
3.) Gardening Teaches Children How to Care for Something
Having something to care for is a human need.
Women are nurturing by nature. If they don’t have children to care for, the family dog gets all the pampering and attention.
Men have a drive to provide for their family, and be the hero. Those that don’t have small children look for fulfillment in their line of work.
Children exhibit those same desires through their play. Little girls nurture their dollies, and boys play army and superhero. They have the same desire to be needed by something or someone, and learning to care for their plants is a great way to meet this need.
They also get the privilege of helping provide for the family. This is a big self esteem booster!
Children learning to care for plants are also learning empathy- something is depending on them for survival and protection. Without their care and hard work, the plants will dry up, be attacked by insects, and get sick.
However knowing things need care is not the same knowing how to care for things. Preschoolers know plants need dirt, water, and sunshine. But knowing what to do if your plant is lacking in nutrients, sick, or stressed is something that takes more knowledge. This a great opportunity to learn how to safely research something online!
4.) Gardening Teaches Children How to Grow Their Own Food (AKA Survival Skills!)
Survival skills has became a hot topic on the internet since the Covid19 hit the United States in 2020, and has continued to be due to rising inflation.
Gardening is a great opportunity to teach how to preserve your own food. I prefer canning since food will keep even if you lose electricity, but you can also freeze many foods as well. Some foods can even be dehydrated.
If this is your first year to garden, I’d focus on one or two crops, especially if you want to preserve food. This way, you and your child will be less likely to be too overwhelmed and quit, and you’ll be able to master successful growing of a particular crop.
Another fun thing to do is to go to a local pick your own farm for fruit such as strawberries. I’ve heard freezer jam is super easy!
An important thing to do if you are wanting to live off the land is seed preservation. Drying seeds on a paper towel and storing them in a dry environment cuts the cost for seed starting the following year!
(Avoid hybrid plants if you want to keep seeds, since they are known for not reproducing well. Heirlooms are the best).
Check back for posts on survival skills outside of gardening!
5.) Gardening Teaches Children about Plants More Than 3 Textbooks Combined!
There are probably more books and articles on plants than any one could read in a lifetime!! But think back with me……
What are the things your reminder learning during your school years?
Things I remember…..
- Preschool- learning about Jesus and drawing pictures
- Kindergarten- learning about dinosaurs and playing house
- 2nd grade- winning an art contest
- 3rd grade- learning multiplication tables and making the state of California out of plaster of paris or something
- 5th grade- making a sculpture of King Tut, watching cool educational videos, and starting band
- Junior High- starting choir and Spanish
- High School- biology and dissecting stuff.
The reason I remember these things are because
- I enjoyed them. I love science and math!
- they were presented in such a way they made them fascinating and memorable.
- I have continued to use the knowledge I learned.
When teaching material is presented in a way that makes it useful, engaging, and fun, it will be remembered forever.
Many things learned in schools are just brain dumps. We really only remember the things they are most useful and enjoyable.
Thar being said- you can set a child down with a text book chapter on botany, and have them do quizzes and tests that show you how well of a short term memory they have.
Or
You can create a fun summer learning life skills in the garden while making them as smart as a botanist!
Final Thoughts
Gardening is a fun way to teach your children life skills, empathy, work ethic, and science.
ALL AT THE SAME TIME!
Things to remember…..
1.) to successfully garden doesn’t mean you have to have a massive garden with 20 different plants and boxes of canning jars. If you can only do 1 small porch tomato plant you are giving your child a wonderful experience that will benefit them and create wonderful memories!
2.) Your garden doesn’t have to be vegetables and fruit! Herb gardens are awesome because they can be used for medicinal purposes. Flower gardens can serve as ways to cheer up the elderly or sick with a beautiful fresh bouquet.
I wish you a happy and successful growing season!
(Coming soon are free Garden printables! Check back soon!!)
