Gardening with Kids
05/04/2009
Did you know that getting dirty can actually be healthy for your kids? When it’s gardening, it’s good clean fun--and good for them too!
GIFTS OF GARDENING
Gardens provide:
• An easily supervised, welcoming space where kids can experience the outdoors and learn from it
• Physical activity
• A source of pride
You’ll find that kids aren’t the only ones who benefit. “Fostering a love of nature will grow children’s respect, concern and commitment to our environment,” says MaryLynn Mack of the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.
GETTING STARTED
No green thumb? No problem. Follow these basic tips for a rewarding experience gardening with your child:
Hand it over.
Giving your kids a small patch of land--or their own containers--will nurture a
passion for gardening. Allow them ownership and responsibility for everything from
digging in the dirt to watering and weeding.
Choose wisely.
There’s nothing like a flower bed (or pot) full of dead plants to wilt the interest of
your budding gardener. To weed out duds before you even plant them, follow these
steps:
• Select flowers from your local nursery that grow well in your area. Be sure to
pay attention to sun/shade requirements.
• Choose fast-growing varieties to allow kids to see the fruit of their labor quickly.
• Give your child a limited number of choices at the nursery which fit the above
characteristics. Allowing kids to choose from a list gives them a feeling of
power without letting things get out of control.
Nurture their love for nature.
Cultivate an ongoing relationship between your child and Mother Nature. Visit
nurseries and botanical gardens. Gardening expert Mar Jennings, host and
producer of The Mar Jennings Home & Garden Show, suggests introducing your
child to The Giving Tree, a book by Shel Silverstein. Through gardening, kids learn
that plants--just like people--thrive with a little love and care.
