Why is gardening with children critical for their health?
All parents know that taking their children outdoors in the fresh air has great health benefits. You may also know that planting flowers can have therapeutic effects. But have you ever considered the benefits gardening can have for children? Parents want to protect their kids, and they often keep them away from the garden, because they do not want the little ones to get dirty. The fact is that gardening can promote the development of multiple skills and a healthy body for children. As a parent, you will always look for opportunities that help your kids grow and learn. Gardening is an activity that has great benefits for both children and adults.
They will improve their motor skills
If you have a garden in the back of your house, and you are regularly working there, you already know that it is an amazing physical activity, different from isolated exercises. Your child will weed, bend, stretch, lift, dig, water and plant. They will use all their muscles, in both their lower and upper parts of the body, when they will practice these movements. It is crucial to help your little one improve their motor skills. The Zoe Waite blog promotes gardening as an activity you should include in your child’s routine.
All their senses are engaged in the activity
The best strategy to help children learn something is to get them involved in an activity that engages all their senses. When working in the garden they feel the flowers, seeds, and dirt, they can touch the plants, and they can see how vibrant nature is. They can hear the sound of vegetables when they will take them out of the ground, and they can smell the scents of the flowers.
They get rid of stress
Nowadays, people are living in the technological age, and this is affecting their emotions and inner state. Both children and adults are affected by stress, even if some of them are not aware of it. When gardening, children have the possibility to find peace of mind when exposing themselves to the gentle sunlight, breathing fresh air, and spending time around green plants. Some doctors state that gardening is spiritual medicine for kids after the hard work they had at the school.
They are encouraged to eat healthily
Eating healthy is vital in children because it supports their body and brain development. But considering that nowadays everyone is buying vegetables and fruits from the supermarket, it can be difficult to eat healthily. If you have a garden, you can grow them by yourself, and you can control the process. Including your child in the process will offer them a sense of pride; because they will eat something, they have cared. In time, this will lead to the development of healthy eating habits. In addition, all parents know that sometimes children refuse to eat exactly the fruits and vegetables that bring them the best health benefits. When gardening they will learn to love eating broccoli, blueberries and strawberries.
Gardening is an interesting outdoors activity, and when it comes to children, it is also educational.