Gardening with Children
Gardening with Children
Earlier this month we discussed prioritizing time outdoors as a family because of its numerous benefits for children, parents, and caregivers. Like many of the goals you set at the beginning of the year, at this point, you might be struggling to continue making progress as the daily challenges of life crop up which is totally normal.
Sometimes one way to combat that resolution fatigue is to remember your why. Why did you want to commit to this? What were you hoping to gain for yourself and/or your children? How does it align with your priorities and values as a parent?
If you’re looking for a boost to keep going, just remember that many studies indicate that nature-based activities help reduce stress and support social-emotional learning and that consistent exposure to nature improves resilience, self-esteem, and emotional regulation in young children.
One activity that requires a bit of upfront investment, but offers continuous benefits, is setting up a small garden with your children. Gardening can serve as a calming activity that fosters patience and mindfulness along with many other benefits. Plus, it is something you can return to throughout the seasons to observe the changes and make new additions as you learn and grow together through the process.
Tips and Tricks for Gardening With Young Children
Just like when we talked about rethinking what a nature walk looks like with small children, the same can be said for gardening. Don’t get bogged down thinking about the perfect end result, but focus on the joy of the process. Children want to play in the mud. They might become fixated on one aspect of gardening: digging, watering, or planting seeds. They might rip the first seedlings right out of the ground. You might never see any plants reach their full potential, and that is okay!
You don’t need a yard or much space at all. If you have a small patio you can have a couple of pots and containers to tend to, or you can even just set up something in a window of your house if your outdoor space is very limited. Even if you have the yard space, using containers can make the whole process a little easier.
You don’t need to plant from seed! You can make an activity of visiting a garden store and picking out some plants to repot and tend to if you’d like.
Of course, safety first. Never let children garden unattended. Remind them that not everything is safe to put in their mouth. Watch out for critters that may bite and never let them use tools without close supervision.
Use the garden to introduce mindfulness by focusing on sensory experiences—the smell of soil, the texture of leaves, or the sight of new growth. Encourage language and writing skills by drawing or discussing what you see in your garden.
Like most new projects, start small and see what grows! If you have any tips or tricks for gardening with young children we’d love to hear them in the comments!
-Sara
