Hari Prasad

Children are always curious. They learn things by observing the activities around them. They imitate elders in all aspects. They dress up like a teacher and conduct a mock class. They pretend to be a doctor and heals your mental stress. These activities keep the kids active and engage in joyful play. But this joy ends at a certain time. If at all they are happy even after hours of playing, how nice it would be? Isn’t it? You may be wondering what game I’m talking about. It is the game of gardening. Gardening is the best hobby regardless of any age. It will be a pleasure having a small garden around your house. Instead of getting them cell phones and iPods, you can encourage them in gardening. It also helps your children to gain practical exposure to plants and increases the patience level.

Tackling the stubborn kids

Generally, kids are stubborn when it comes to eating. Parents will be fed up with such kids. They use all the tricks they know to make their kids eat nutritious food. But they won’t be successful in making their kids eat. What if you make them grow tomatoes and beans at home? It will be a new experience for kids. They will eat the vegetables grown by themselves. So they show much interest in gardening. They get curious and learn new things about plants.

Importance of gardening for kids

Studies have proved that the children who were engaged to maintain a school garden were more likely to eat the vegetables and fruits grown. Obviously, they force their parents to have a small garden at home where they grow vegetables, flowers and fruits. They will be so happy to use the products grown at home. This will be the first step towards healthy eating habits. This also helps in preventing obesity in children.

Create gardening interest in your kids

As the old proverb says ” House is the first school for children”, let the gardening lessons start from home. In tender age, kids have the good grasping ability. As I said earlier, children follow what the elders do. So, you should be the first person to start gardening and grow plants. They get inspired by seeing you and join their hands with you in gardening. Let them dig the soil, sow the seeds and nurture the plants. By doing so they will be exposed to nature and will explore the nature. There are many horticultural institutes in the metropolitan cities where regular workshops and exhibitions are conducted. Take your children to such places so that they gain information about gardening.

Prevention of ADD and ADHD in kids

The study result of the research conducted by the University of Illinois has proved that interacting with greenery avoids the children from the symptoms of ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Gardening can improve the sense of touch, smell, sight and sound in the children. These activities also give environmental awareness to your children. If you do not have a big space for gardening, you can create a small terrace garden or balcony garden for your children.

Guide them in gardening

Let them start their journey of gardening with some of the materials available at home like mustard seeds, coriander seeds etc.,You can also them gardening kits exclusively made for kids. Kids gardening kits are available online which can make your job easy. Now your kids can have fun in playing the game as a farmer. They dig the soil by themselves and they sow the seeds. They water the seeds and nurture them. Teach them how to prepare organic compost using the food waste generated. Create awareness about the advantages of natural fertilizers and drawbacks of chemical fertilizers. After the game, once the seeds start to sprout sky will be the limit for their joy. Once the plant starts to produce fruits and flowers, they will be the proud owners of the produce and happily consume them. As the whole procedure is done in your household, it will be completely organic. Hence no need to worry about the chemical effects on your kids. You are not only making your kids enjoy the game, but you are also creating awareness in them, making them responsible and encouraging them to grow plants.

Courtesy: Trust Basket

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