Three Reasons To Garden With Your Children

Lotty is an adoptive mum, a birth mum, a horticulturist and a landscape gardener. She shares three reasons parents should get their kids outside and in the garden.

#1 Putting a tiny seed into a pot, watering it and seeing it grow is a great project you can do with your little ones. Getting your hands into rich, warm soil is one of the best feelings. Gardening with kids is a continual project that can encourage you and your child to connect with nature, get outdoors and away from screens. Gardening can be a form of messy play, which some children love. It can boost your moods, reduce stress and promote general wellbeing.

#2 Learning that plants need food, water, light and sunshine to thrive can teach your children about the environment, how the world works and their food’s journey from the farm to their plate. Growing edible food can be rewarding when you finally get to pick and eat the fruits and vegetables you’ve grown. Using your home-grown produce to prepare a meal together is a great way to bring the bonding activity indoors. It’s also an effective way to encourage healthy eating habits as children are more likely to eat meals they help to make.

#3 Exploring your local area, identifying flowers and plants and learning their names is another activity you can do as a family. You can even take some cuttings of the plants you like and try to propagate these at home. Gardening is a form of exercise that can build strength, promote restful sleep, and help you and your child maintain a healthy weight.

Do you garden with your children? What is your favourite activity to do together?