Gardening with Kids

Green thumb or not, you can grow a love for nature in the heart of your child with a few seeds and some dirt.

*This article originally appeared on the General Mills Box Tops for Education Web site in June 2008.

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:

• A safe place for kids to experience nature and discover the cycles of life
• A source of physical activity
• A source of pride

You’ll find that kids aren’t the only ones benefitting. “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:

• Select flowers from your local nursery that grow well in your area – and 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 it get out of control.

Nurture a love of 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 by Shel
Silverstein. Through gardening, kids learn that plants—just like people—thrive with a little
TLC.