Kids love to mirror their parents, and they are typically a little bit more receptive to their parents’ interests as they are able
to see how dedicated their parents are. For those parents not gifted with the green thumb, encouraging your kids to participate in this particular hobby might be a challenge. We might not be going for the title of “World’s Most Incredible Garden” here, but learning a few tips to spark your little one’s interest is a start to a wonderful bonding experience as well as provide an opportunity to develop a skill they may harbor later in life, with you to thank for it! Children, as most parents can guess, are naturally curious and enjoy learning by doing. Working in a garden can induce a sense of satisfaction that develops from seeing something flourish over a period of time while being able to experience the cycle of life first-hand. Environmental awareness is a t
opic not explored as much as others in standard curricula, so having the opportunity to explore the workings of nature with hands-on activities while your children get to have fun seems like a no-brainer.
For starters, creating a container garden is a great first step. If you don’t have a lot of (or any) outdoor space, putting a few recycled containers in a sunny spot on your patio or in your yard can be an easy way to begin the cultivation process. Why destroy the yard if you’re not sure your project will work out? Be sure to do a little research as to which plants would be good to start off in a container. Some examples are lettuce, radishes, broccoli, green beans, tomatoes and various herbs; some of the most popular of which include chives, parsley and basil! These vegetables perform better than others in tight spaces, so starting with these is recommended for a successful first try. Growing your greenery without all the fuss of managing a full garden makes this avenue of gardening a quick way to see results. It can definitely be said that kids and parents enjoy instant gratification. You can supplement your projects with books and interactive videos about plants, weekend trips to greenhouses and botanical gardens, all of which could lead to your kids may asking questions like:
· Why are worms good for plants?
· When will my plant be fully grown?
· Why do different plants take different amounts of time to grow?
This activity can also spur a more creative and artistic side to your child. You can decorate the container with paint, chalk, markers, you name it! Parents, be sure to keep track of growth and allow them to be creative and even a little messy. Let your child play the leading role in the process to not only make sure they always feel included and engaged. Give your child a notebook, so they can write down how their plants are doing and keep daily records about their garden. Keep in mind that the notebook itself can also be a fun DIY project. A few things you can do are design fresh colorful notebook and section covers or make some cool dividers for your pages. The project should have no limits, feel free to make it your own. Not only is it great material to show off to others, family, co-workers and your other kids, they are definitely worth a read later on!
Let’s take it a step further- I’ll bet you didn’t realize gardening could be a math lesson as well! You can do a variety of things such as counting the flowers that sprout on each plant every day or every week and measure the plants height. The act of gardening can also inspire the idea of maintaining good health in children by allowing kids to get dirty. Parents with an aversion to germs, hear me out on this one. This practice may be counterintuitive for parents who insist their kids be constantly clean, but consider the “hygiene hypothesis”; kids who are too clean and neglect to come into contact with many germs become susceptible to illnesses such as asthma and autoimmune diseases. To side-step the issue of guarding your child’s immune system, allow your child to get a little dirty while gardening in an effort to strengthen your child’s immunity and overall health. Children, especially ones living in such a technologically advanced time who are equipped with cell phones, tablets and whatnot can all benefit from a bit more sun exposure and physical activity. In addition to digging in the dirt, kids can do active things such as push wheelbarrows around, carry and balance water and move soil to boast a more ‘fit’ body and mind while staying focused and at the same time (I cannot stress this enough) feeling like they are playing an instrumental role in the process. Inclusion is key.
Spending time in the garden, and at school or daycare even, promotes communication as well as fostering mindfulness and team building skills. Create a game of it, or chart that acts as a timetable, such as a growth chart kids can color in as their plant grows and provide incentives for growth such as stickers and markers for their projects. The concepts kids can learn together are those that can be applied in many parts of their daily lives, giving them a sense of purpose and responsibility by making sure plants have enough sun and water. In such practices, kids can discover that not only did they learn, but they develop a long-lasting respect for the environment and real lessons in individual responsibility.
Showing children that the effort they put in can generate results doesn’t have to be an only-at-home project. Encourage teachers at school and caregivers to participate to, or even begin a class garden which can promote many positive beliefs such as conservation, the lesson of growth and seeing that their efforts were not in vain. Children can work together to accomplish what they’d like to when they have the right motivation and support. There is definitely power in numbers. Include their friends in your gardening activities when they come to your home for play dates and work to spread your efforts to other children and their families. This hobby may not always be the cheapest in comparison to painting or drawing, but the feeling children feel from seeing a plant grow from a simple seed to a sprout with budding flowers and even a fruit or a vegetable is priceless. Let your kids shine!