Gardening

Helps Grow Healthy, Happy Kids

By Melinda Myers

 

Gardeners know and research is proving that gardening, even viewing a garden, as well as spending time in nature is good for the mind, body, and spirit. It improves strength and flexibility, lowers blood pressure, and elevates our moods. This is also true for the youngsters in our lives. Recent studies found that school-aged children who participate in outdoor activities have better vision than those who spend most of their time indoors. Children who engage in nature and gardening are more focused, score better on exams, and are less likely to develop or exhibit symptoms of ADHD. And kids who play outside and get a bit dirty also have stronger immune systems.

 

Here are some tips for gardening with children -  no matter how much space or time you have.

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Consider giving each child their own garden space or a container garden to design, plant, and tend. Containers are a great option when planting space and time are limited.  And just about anything can be grown in a pot. An old 5-gallon bucket or washtub with holes drilled into the bottom, recycled nursery pots, or a colorful raised planter make great gardens.

 

Provide them with some kid-sized tools and equipment. The tools’ smaller scale will be easier for them to handle and having their own tools that match yours makes gardening even more special. Consider investing in a set of kids’ gardening tools including hand tools, long-handled tools, and even a wheelbarrow like those at Corona Tools USA (coronatools.com).

 

Keep in mind the goal is for kids to have fun and develop an interest in gardening. You may need to bite your tongue when their combinations are rather unique, or plants are spaced improperly. Provide some guidance but be prepared to let them experiment and learn from their failures as well as successes.

 

Kids like to water even at an early age. The biggest challenge is getting the water to the plant but that will come with time, practice, and a few water-soaked outfits. Your efforts will be rewarded when your child takes over watering your container gardens.

 

You may notice kids often find bugs and worms more interesting than plants. Use this as a gateway into gardening. Get kids involved in worm composting or hunting for earthworms in the compost pile. They will have fun on the worm hunt while helping you turn your compost pile.

 

Use the “Pluck, Drop and Stomp” method to manage garden pests. Point out the bad guys and the damage they do. Be sure they know to watch for the good guys and leave them be to help the garden grow. Then have the children pluck the bad bugs off the plant, drop them to the ground, and stomp on them. This eco-friendly pest management strategy also burns some of that excess energy.

 

Include lots of color in the garden and containers. Michigan State University surveyed kids before creating their children’s garden. They found kids were much more excited and likely to participate when a garden is filled with color.​

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Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening.

 

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Themed Gardens Kids Will Love

Inspire children to garden with these creative themes

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Pollinator Garden

Build a garden that attracts more pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to help pollinate plants. Try planting nasturtiums, fuchsia, honeysuckle, bee balm and sage.

Pizza Garden

Grow all the herbs to add to a pizza, like basil, thyme, rosemary, chives, oregano, arugula, and cilantro. For an extra touch, make the garden round like a pizza. 

Fairy Garden

Spark imaginations by designing and decorating a miniature garden with small figurines, fairy houses and plants. Perfect for small spaces or containers.

Salad Garden

Grow all the ingredients to make a tasty salad like lettuce, carrots, radishes and cucumbers.

Three Sisters Garden

Teach kids about plants that grow well together, such as corn, beans, and squash, by cultivating them near each other.

Sunflower Garden

Sunflowers are a great plant for children to grow. They’re one of the easiest plants to grow, their large seeds are perfect for little hands, their big sunny-faced blooms are beautiful, and their height and quick growth is fun for children to watch.

Alphabet Garden

Help teach kids their ABC's in a fun way. Include plants to cover some (or all!) of the letters of the alphabet. For example, plant some asters for “A,” balloon flowers for “B,” cosmos for “C” and so on. Create labels for the plants.

Wildflower Garden

Discover the native wildflower plants in your area. (There are over 1500 species of wildflowers in Alaska!) Then build a garden with some of those flowers. Some picks might include: Lupins, fireweed, western columbine, Alaska poppy and Forget-me-not, Alaska’s state flower.

Peter Rabbit's Garden

Grow the vegetables found in Mr. McGregor’s garden, including the ones that Peter enjoyed munching on: lettuce, carrots, radishes and cabbage.

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