5 Reasons to Start Gardening with Your Child This Summer

Many people are starting their own gardens this year. The increase in food prices and recent pushes to go green has encouraged many individuals to grow their own food. According to the National Gardening Association, 19% more people plan on starting a new garden in 2009 than they did in 2008. That's about 7 million people!

If you are one of the many people taking up this fun hobby, consider starting a garden with your child this summer. If you already enjoy growing your own food, get your children involved this year.

Here are 5 reasons to start gardening with your child this summer

Reasons to start gardening with your child #1

Gardening is educational.

Watching a tiny seed develop into a full grown plant is a very interesting process. Young children love to learn and this is a great way to get them involved and teach with real life situations. There are many things to make gardening with your child educational. Discuss the life cycle of a plant and teach them how the seed grows and turns into a delicious edible vegetable. You can also put a ruler next to the plants to see how tall they grow over time to help your child learn math skills.

Reasons to start gardening with your child #2

Gardening is fun.

I don't know any child who doesn't love playing in the dirt. By starting a garden, your kids can get their hands dirty without worrying about getting in trouble. Kids will love helping you water the plants and even weed the garden. It's fun to go out everyday, check on the plants and work together with your child. Purchasing your children their own gardening tool set will make it even more fun.

Reasons to start gardening with your child #3

Gardening teaches responsibility.

Responsibility is a value that many parents try to instill in their children at a young age. It promotes good self esteem and teachers children how to take care of important things. Gardening with your child is one of the best ways to help them learn about responsibility. A garden must be taken care of often in order for it to thrive. Give your child certain tasks when it comes to the garden such as watering. You can even make a job chart that your child can check off once the gardening tasks are completed for the day or week.

Reasons to start gardening with your child #4

Gardening with your child is a great bonding experience.

Gardening with your child is a wonderful bonding experience. Children love to spend time with their parents and work together. Make this a hobby that you and your child can enjoy as just the two of you. This is something that your children will remember years from now and may even continue with their own kids. Make sure to set a little bit of time away each day or week to work on your garden together and share this wonderful bonding experience.

Reasons to start gardening with your child #5

Gardening teaches healthy eating.

Teaching your child how to grow their own food will benefit them in the long run. Gardening is a very good thing to know and skill to have. Growing fruits and vegetables promotes healthy eating and encourages children to try new foods. After taking care of their plants and watching them grow, kids will jump at the chance to eat the foods from their garden. Encourage healthy eating by letting your child choose which type of produce to plant next.

Sources:

National Gardening Association Garden Research