Importance & Benefits Of Gardening

Gardening with kids is a great outdoor activity which allows the whole family to participate. Selecting your flowers and vegetables, making the earth and planting and harvesting, gardening with kids could be a wonderful way to spend time with your child/children and a healthy hobby which all can enjoy. Working in the garden, helps a child build all senses and children learn to work together and share.
Now a day, children spend more time sitting in front of their computers & TV than playing outdoors. A study by the California Department of Education, kids' fitness levels may affect their performance in school. The Study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found exactly the same results on academic performance. The study revealed that increased amounts of physical fitness translated into higher academic achievement. The benefits were most evident in tough subjects like math scores. It is also found that girls at a higher fitness level had better achievement than boys.
Does your child consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day? We have known for years that fruits and vegetables provide essential protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that keep us healthy. According to the nationwide nutrition survey research, daily consumption of fruits and vegetables decrease risk of stroke, cancer, and heart disease, improved memory and lower blood sugar levels. So why not try this.
Following are the Benefits of gardening with your children:
"�� Social and Life Skills
"�� Science
"�� Relaxation
"�� Environmental Awareness
"�� Quality time with family
Following are some tips for gardening with your children:
"�� Before you start, Study what kind of climate you have. Once you know your zone, you can find out and choose what plants to select.
"�� Allocate a place where your child will be gardening.
"�� Guide them about the importance of quality soil and soil preparation.
"�� Before starting a garden with your children, the first thing you should do is remove any large debris, rocks, and branches.
"�� Let the kids lay out the shape of the garden.
"�� Ask your kids what kind of plants, vegetables or flowers they like to plant and let your kids pick them out.
"�� Explain them what will work well in the garden and what won't.
"�� Let them help in the seeds selection and blossoming plants at the nursery. Let your child do the money calculations.
"�� Depending on your kid's age, let him dig, weed, or watering. This is a great way for your child to explore.
"�� Get them their own gardening gear. Nothing will motivate your little gardener more than having their own little shovel, gardening gloves, watering pail, and colored rubber boots.
"�� Plant some quick growers to keep the child's interest or purchase plants from garden center.
"�� Watch plants breed and enjoy time together in nurturing nature.
Gardening with children could benefit both children and adults and it's all about having fun and learning together. Gardening & nature are great stress relievers, enhance the environment, develop individuals, and build communities.