Gardening for children

Put gardening for children in their everyday life and give them unique experiences

The garden is for children an unexplored landscape full of challenges! It is well-known and scientifically proven that the involvement of children in gardening offers much more than fun and play, which are equally important. Entering into the process of describing the garden and cultivating the plants, children acquire new skills, strengthen their responsibility and self-esteem, develop their creativity and learn to cooperate. Naturally, they become familiar with the environment and learn experientially to respect and protect it.

• Younger children in the garden can find a space to explore all the senses. They come into contact with various textures, from wet or dry soil, to green or dry leaves, smooth or fluffy fruits. They perceive different smells, from cut grass and wet soil to the scents of flowers. And of course they receive many visual and auditory stimuli, colors, shadows, the sound of wind, birds, water.
• At known levels older children through the garden cannot observe the biological cycle of various organisms (plants, insects, small animals), weather phenomena, create simple constructions, replace the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables and much more .

Usually the children, seeing the adults in the family working in the garden, want to participate too. Because the first step has been taken! Then, in order to become familiar and gain more interest, they need to feel that they can succeed even if they have their own space in the garden, balcony or roof.

• So it is useful to have a small space initially with soil or a few pots where the child can grow 2-3 of his own vegetables or flowers or even shape with 2-3 plantings. Also useful are the garden tools and gloves designed for children as they make gardening work both safe and easy.
• In addition to the small space that children grow in the rest of the garden could be placed bird feeders, flowers that attract butterflies (such as lantanas, buddleja and cosmos) and ladybugs (such as angelicas, calendulas, geraniums), even a small . water element.
• The interest remains alive as the garden evolves. Allow young children to participate in watering, weeding and even picking fruits and flowers. For older children, they choose flowers with prolonged flowering and vegetables with fast production such as lettuce, spinach, strawberry.
• Encourage children to use garden materials and their creativity and make from simple garden flower bouquets and wreaths to homemade crafts.
• Finally, composting is an important process with continuous development that children usually want to know. Children can participate in composting by separating the appropriate materials and older children by placing them in the bin or the special pile. Composting is an important educational process for children and adults alike.

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