7 Perks of Gardening with your Kids

---

1. It encourages them to eat healthier.

 It makes some intuitive sense. Half the fun of gardening is getting to eat what you grow. But the positive effect a sun-warmed strawberry has on your little ones will continue to ripple throughout their lives. One study found that students involved in hands-on school gardening programs developed an increased snacking preference for fruits and vegetables. The research supporting this type of gardening program continues to rack up. Garden Organic reports many studies in their Growing Health Benefits Report that demonstrate how gardening can be instrumental in preventing obesity as well as other health problems.  When parents get involved in gardening with their kids, the results are even better! These studies suggest links between growing food and increased food preparation at home, as well as a 40 percent increase in consumption of fresh produce in adults. So, grab a shovel with your child and watch the health of your whole family blossom!  

2. It provides engaging, moderate exercise. 

If you’ve ever spent an afternoon in the garden, you’ve probably experienced time flying and sore muscles the next morning. Gardening is a surprisingly physical activity.  Garden tasks such as digging, raking and turning compost use a variety of muscles in the upper and lower body. One report cites the calorie expenditure for different gardening activities at around 250-500 calories per hour, depending on the intensity of the activity.  But more than mere exercise, gardening teaches children a pattern of healthy activity. The physical tasks of food growing can contribute to a broader understanding of the various ways of staying active, according to Garden Organic. Teachers also report that children and young people take greater responsibility for their own health.  

3. It builds a sense confidence.

Teachers and parents alike recognize how crucial confidence can be in a child’s ability to grow and learn. The process of tending a plant and seeing it bloom or produce food takes time and patience, but the payoff in satisfaction is equal to the investment. Gardening helps make children feel more capable, according to Dr. Wendy Matthews, a consultant of Mindprint Learning. “It is wonderful for building a child’s sense of competence, as they engage in a real-life activity that they might have previously seen as only for adults,” she explains.  Give any children the experience of dabbling a tiny seed into a hole, watering it, protecting it and watching it explode into life and growth—and they might just feel like they have magic powers!