The author's grandson and a friend help with the backyard gardening. (Contributed)
For me, one of the best things about retirement is having more time to spend with my grandchildren. Gardening is one of the activities I enjoy with them. When my 4-year-old grandson came to visit us recently, he actually wanted to go outside and see the vegetable patch. He always wants to go outside and see the tractors. I'll admit that he's crazy about tractors. But on this day, he was honestly interested in seeing the garden. Last summer, when he came to visit, he helped me water, weed, and harvest the raised beds in my vegetable patch.
My grandson's interest in the garden this year got me “thinking” about gardening being a great activity for kids of all ages. I could think of many benefits, but I did a Google search to see what the research found.
I found a lot of articles about gardening with kids, and one of the best was from Rasmussen University. It was a data-driven article that listed seven real-world benefits of gardening with kids.
Benefit 1 – Gardening encourages children to eat healthier: Studies have shown that children who garden are more likely to prefer fruits and vegetables as snacks.
Benefit 2 – Gardening provides great, moderate exercise. Digging, raking, and weeding use many different muscles in the upper and lower body. Gardening not only provides exercise, it teaches children healthy activity patterns.
Benefit 3 – Gardening builds self-confidence. Nurturing a plant from seed to fruiting or blooming requires patience and commitment. The joy of seeing a plant bloom or bear fruit shows your child that they are capable of great things.
Benefit 4 – Gardening develops important reasoning, initiating, planning and organizing skills. Watching plants grow and learning how to deal with things like insects and weather helps develop skills that are useful outside of gardening.
Benefit 5 – Gardening reduces stress: Studies have shown that people who garden have significantly less cortisol, the hormone that creates stress in the body.
Benefit 6 – Gardening improves concentration and memory: According to the American Journal of Public Health, children perform better mentally when they are in green spaces.
Benefit 7 – Gardening has a positive effect on mood and psychological health. Elements of gardening evoke positive emotions in both the short and long term. Research has shown that gardening can be a powerful tool against depression and anxiety.
No grandchildren? No space to garden? Prefer flowers? You can garden with your nieces, nephews, neighbors, or students. Gardening doesn't require a large yard or land. You can grow plants in pots, tubs, or buckets. The benefits of gardening can be obtained regardless of what types of plants you grow. We hope you start gardening with your children soon. Just think about it; you may be helping to cultivate the “roots” of your future garden club members!
Red Bluff Garden Club will be closed for the summer months. Normal activities will resume on August 27, 2024.
The Red Bluff Garden Club is a member of the Cascade District, California Garden Club, Pacific Area Garden Club and the National Garden Club.
