Thursday, 20 March 2014

6 Reasons Why Gardening is Good for Children

Posted by Rosie

We live in an Instant Society:
  • Microwaves can heat our meals in minutes
  • On demand TV
  • Instant Messaging
  • Google for answers in microseconds
  • 24hr shops
  • Next day delivery

If we want it there is a good chance we can have it NOW. 



When I was younger it was a bit different ... and we were used to waiting for things.  Today's children so often do not need to wait which is why I believe gardening is such a good activity for them.
  1. It teaches patience and good things come to those who wait.
  2. Vegetable gardening shows children where food comes from - it may also help fussy eaters to enjoy their greens (and reds and yellows ...)
  3. Children learn that for something to grow and thrive they must care for it each and every day.
  4. They can see that dirt isn't actually a bad thing and in fact their dinner might be growing in it.
  5. Contact with Nature is believed to have positive mental benefits and helps to prevent what is now termed Nature Deficit Disorder.
  6. Time away from the TV or computer in something active is great for physical health.
But what if you are not blessed with Green Fingers?  Why not see if some-one else in your family can help, a grandparent for example.  Maybe a friend has an allotment and can give some advice.  This page gives some advice about 3 easy to grow vegetables (courgettes, carrots and tomatoes) and this one has as slightly longer list including flowers and some advice on growing techniques.  It is American so for bush beans read French beans, for zucchini read courgettes and not many parts of the UK or northern France are likely to grow very good water melons.  This is another I found on the #LetKidsBeKids linky and well worth a read - Growing Stuff.  Finally, this post from Little Sprouts Learning gives some great ideas for gardening with kids

So will you be getting your children growing something this  year?  We'd love to hear about it.  Or can you think of any more reasons why our children should be out there gardening?

Ben and Tom pumpkin harvesting

U, me and the kids





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23 comments :

  1. Unknown20 March 2014 at 21:05

    I totally agree, gardening with children is great for them. It teaches them a lot. I tried to grow courgettes and radishes with my kids last year, the radishes were ok & we got to eat them, which the kids liked, but the courgettes were a disaster! I am going to try again this year.
    Thanks for Linking #LetKidsBeKids

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2014 at 23:06

      Good luck with your courgettes - the bad Spring meant it was hard to get them going last year but I am sure they will be a great success this year1

      Delete
  2. Jaime Oliver21 March 2014 at 13:20

    love this honey, we spent some time last week gardening and Joshua loved it and is now over the moon that the seeds are sprouting x

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  3. Anonymous21 March 2014 at 15:41

    I remember I use to plant seeds with my father and they grew. And its a nice memory. Gardening is beyond plants and you are right .. in this time and age when everything is fast and available gardening is a great way to get away from everything fast and see how things grow in a natural way.

    Love your post =)

    #pocolo

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  4. Christine21 March 2014 at 21:04

    I used to have an allotment and quite a big garden before the kids came along but it just got too much to do. We're in a house with a small garden now and we've got one raised bed for salad veggies. Keep on thinking I'd like a bit more space though.

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    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2014 at 23:09

      I cut back my serious veggie growing when the boys were small too but now they are bigger I am back to full production and they help even more.

      Delete
  5. Kim Carberry21 March 2014 at 21:14

    Great post!! I'm determined to grow something this year with the kids....Not a clue what yet but it's something different for us to try x

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    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2014 at 23:10

      Feel free to ask if you want any help choosing what to grow. And good luck!

      Delete
  6. mummmy to boyz21 March 2014 at 21:26

    We love getting out in the garden with the boys

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  7. Unknown21 March 2014 at 22:54

    What a great post - so very very true. Grace loves planting and gardening. We planted a few things last year and she used to race into the kitchen to see how much they had sprouted. Thank you for linking to PoCoLo x

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    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2014 at 23:33

      Thank you - and Grace is anything like me that excitement will never go away!

      Delete
  8. Phoebe @ Lou Messugo22 March 2014 at 14:31

    Another reason you ask? To help me!!! All help appreciated in a big garden. But on a less self-centered note, I agree with what you're saying Rosie!

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  9. Terra22 March 2014 at 15:40

    Another reason that I love gardening with my son is the time we get to spend time together. It's a great way to strengthen our connection :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life22 March 2014 at 20:27

      Yes - time together is a good one. Thank you Terra.

      Delete
  10. Clara Noli @NotreCharme22 March 2014 at 17:43

    I totally agree, gardening is so good and healthy both for children and adults! It is relaxing and we can really enjoy the time spent outdoor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life22 March 2014 at 20:28

      Thank you Clara Noli - it can be hard work but is definitely relaxing too.

      Delete
  11. Loving life with little ones23 March 2014 at 10:34

    I agree with you, we have a small garden but grow lots of fruit, plums, cherries, blueberries, tayberries, currants and strawberries. The girls love growing them and eating them too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life23 March 2014 at 12:49

      Nothing like growing your own for getting little ones to eat fruit and veg!

      Delete
  12. Unknown24 March 2014 at 15:08

    I completely agree. We live in such a fast pace society and gardening is a great way to teach children about patience. Good luck with your courgettes - we did courgettes for the first time last year and they were lovely. Going to get our seeds planted out soon hopefully :) #PoCoLo

    ReplyDelete

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