As we enter springtime, it can feel like a brand-new world is forming. Flowers are blooming and the trees are budding with leaves again. Many people celebrate this new season by flexing their green thumb. You can always see people out there gardening in their yards. According to a 2014 study, around 113.5 million people in the United States spent time gardening in the last year. Gardening can be a great bonding experience with your children. Follow along for tips on how to get your children excited about gardening and what new opportunities it brings.
Use gardening as an educational tool
One of the greatest benefits of gardening is the knowledge that your child will receive. Children can learn so many different bits of information that will be helpful to them. This will not only give them valuable life skills, but they may also learn new things that will help them in school.
If you have a child that loves science, gardening may be just for them. You can teach them about the entire process of plant or vegetable growth. They can learn about how the soil, sunlight, and water affect the plant's growth. Your child may be bored learning from a book in school. Gardening can give them a great hands-on learning experience. This can be incredibly useful if your child is more of a visual learner.
If you have a vegetable garden, you can teach your children about healthy eating. This can lead to healthier eating options for your family. Your child may get excited to eat some that they have grown themselves. It can give them a sense of accomplishment. Once these vegetables have grown you can make a meal with them. They will literally be able to see the fruits of their labor. While you are preparing the meal together, you can talk with them about the gardening experience that you shared together.
Teach responsibility while tending the plants
Parents, every day, are looking to give their children the right tools to succeed in life. This will enable them to make good choices as they grow into adulthood. Even at a young age, children should learn responsibility. Gardening is a great activity for teaching them responsibility.
A garden requires a great deal of care. If left ignored, it will fail to prosper and will die. Plants require sunlight and plenty of water. You can establish an effective watering schedule. Pick a certain time each day to take care of the watering. After a while, this daily responsibility will become natural for them. To help with this you can give your child their own special section of the garden. Adhering to a distinct schedule will help them in other aspects of life such as their school schedule.
Show the importance of community gardening
Gardening is not just a family activity. There are many community gardens out there to get involved with. Neighbors come together and work on growing their own vegetables and plants. Getting involved with a community garden for your children, as well. It can help them meet new people and make new friends. The more exposure they have to others, the more empathetic people they will grow up to be. They will also learn about collaboration. Whether it is in school or work, people face plenty of group work activities.
Lean into the benefits of gardening
In addition to the bonding experience gardening will create, there are many other benefits. Gardening can help relax you and your child. This will help your mental and physical health tremendously. Beautifying your property is also one of the many benefits of gardening. This can also help increase the property value. For example, when your patio is landscaped, the value of your home can increase by 12.4%, according to a SmartMoney.com study. If you are looking to sell your home, the landscaping could increase the home's resale value by 14%. Gardening is a win-win situation overall. So get digging in the dirt as a family and enjoy it!
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