Benefits of Gardening for Kids

It's good to see children involved with environment-friendly activities. One such nature-loving activity that children could easily get their hands on is gardening. I thought I'd share an article I found about a few benefits gardening could easily provide:

1.  Science
In planting, children are indirectly taught the wonders of science, such as the plant's life cycle and how human intervention can break or make the environment.  They can have a first hand experience on the miracle of life through the growth of a seed.

2.  Life
Watching a seed grow into a tree is just as wondrous as the growth of a child.  In time, kids learn to love their plants and appreciate the life in them. Gardening actually helps teach how life should be treated -- with care. The necessities to live will be emphasized to kids with the help of gardening - water, sunlight, air, soil. Those necessities could easily be correlated to human necessities, i.e., water, shelter, air, food.  By simply weeding a garden, one could educate how bad influences should be avoided to be able to live life smoothly.

3.  Relaxation
Studies show that gardening can reduce stress because of its calming effect. This is applicable to any age group.  More so, it stimulates all the five senses.  Believe it or not, gardening may be used as therapy for children who have been abused or those who are members of broken homes.  It helps build self-esteem. 

4.  Quality Time with the Family
Forget about a stressful work life for a while and be soothed by the lovely ambience in the garden.  You can play and spend quality time with the children.  You can talk while watering the plants or you can work quietly beside each other. You might discover a lot of new things about your child while mingling with them in your garden. 

Help kids become aware of the environment's needs by jumpstarting their education through gardening.  I guess the best benefit of gardening with kids is that you teach them to respect life while bonding with them.