Gardening With Kids Is Good For The Environment

Sad to say, there are STILL people who do not pay much attention to environmental issues.  What can you and I do about it? 

For starters, we can encourage our children’s natural instincts to do what is right, and nudge them into environmentally friendly activities. Toddler age is not too young to start, as long as it’s fun and safe for them.

Gardening should be at the top of your list… it’s fun for kids and for us adults. It’s a terrific teaching tool for “green” concepts, as well as a healthy and educational family activitiy.

Here are some more great benefits from gardening with kids:

1.  Science… Children learn about the life cycles of plants, from planting to picking flowers and vegetables. They love sticking tiny little seeds or plants into the dirt, and then learning the science of what happens.

2.  Responsibility… Unlike adults, children enjoy all the chores inbetween planting and picking. They just don’t see it the same way we adults do. It’s fun to get dirty and wet – just ask any kid. It’s also an ideal opportuniy to introduce responsible environmental habits. Kids love getting their hands dirty, watering plants (and everything else anywhere close), watching things grow, and picking flowers or tomatoes.

3.  Feeling Worthwhile… Studies show that gardening can reduce stress because of its calming effect… on all ages. Actually, gardening is often used as therapy on children and adults who have been abused or are from broken homes.  Nurturing plants as they grow, caring for them, and harvesting them helps these folks… who are so in need of nurturing themselves. Being part of a garden’s bounty, and having taken part in it, improves their self-esteem immensely.

4.  Quality Time with the Family… Gardens are one of the best places to connect with your kids, and spouse… and yourself. There’s plenty of time to discover, together, what’s been happening with all the plants. It can be a natural segueue into what’s been happening in their lives, or yours. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to talk about serious things when you’re enjoying your kids and spouse. If the garden becomes a favorite location and activity among your family, it will become the natural setting for serious family discussions… and, just goofing off and having fun as a family.

Wonder of wonders, like all things good, while you’re practicing good parenting you are also exposing your kids to basic environmental needs. They will learn the basic tenets of being “green”. It’s a great way to jump-start their environmental education.

And it all takes place in your family’s garden classroom.