Gardening is an excellent way for children to learn about the environment and the nutritional value of fresh produce. It also stimulates their senses by letting them touch the soil, hear birds sing, smell flowers and taste whatever fruits or vegetables grow naturally in their garden. Gardening provides children with a connection with nature that they won’t experience otherwise.
Additionally, it helps them develop responsibility and a sense of ownership, as they come to understand that successful things require time and dedication.
Planting
Gardening is an excellent way for kids to learn about plants, nature and food. Additionally, it gives them a chance to use their hands and develop creative abilities.
Begin by designating a safe area on your property where children can dig, plant and observe wildlife without fear of damaging delicate flowers and vegetables. This could be as straightforward as creating an area for digging within one corner or as complex as installing a raised bed for more intensive activity.
Encourage children to select their favorites and plant a variety of plants with various flavors, colors and textures. Fruits and vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, corn, french beans, peas, swiss chard and strawberries make great additions.
Children are especially fascinated by carnivorous plants such as Venus fly traps and sundews, which respond to touch and can catch flies. This provides a wonderful opportunity to educate them about insects and wildlife, as well as the value of plants in our environment.
Harvesting
Gardening is an educational experience that fosters responsibility in children. It requires a lot of hard work, such as watering plants and checking leaves for insects.
Plants require time to mature, which teaches children that not everything happens immediately. They might need to wait 30 days or longer for a carrot seed to sprout or wait until their radishes have reached 90 days old before harvesting them.
As kids learn how to tend their garden, they gain the assurance that their efforts are worthwhile and important. Furthermore, they get to see the results of their labor and relish in enjoying the fruits of their labor!
When selecting seeds, kids should encourage them to choose plants that are enjoyable and easy to cultivate – such as cherry tomatoes, salad greens or carrots.
Preparing Food
One of the best and simplest ways to get kids engaged with gardening is by having them prepare food. This will give them a chance to experiment with new ingredients and taste foods they might not otherwise try.
Start small by growing simple fruits and vegetables that kids can harvest, wash and consume without any preparation – cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, carrots or cucumbers all make great options! Serve these with some nutritious dip or two to start curbing kids’ junk food intake!
Children will love the extra flavor that comes from adding creativity to their garden dishes. For instance, sun-warmed tomatoes taste wonderful sliced with mozzarella or in marinara sauce.
Cooking
In addition to encouraging children to be physically active, gardening provides them with an educational experience about food and its source. Participating in a garden project from seed to fork helps children form lifelong healthy eating habits that will last throughout their lives.
Studies have demonstrated that children who participate in gardening activities tend to consume more vegetables than those who don’t. Furthermore, research has indicated that participating in a gardening program increases children’s knowledge about plants and their ability to recognize different kinds of fruit and vegetables.
Start small with a garden of kid-friendly foods like salad greens, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers. Planting these crops gives kids the satisfaction of watching their effort bear fruit as well as an underlying sense of pride in their accomplishments.