The summer vacations are approaching after months of studying and keeping away from fun activities. There was a time when summer vacation meant visiting and exploring your beautiful village, long train rides with bulky suitcases, playing in gullies with friends, sitting under the scorching sun for hours and unveiling acquitted naughtiness, rushing home to have delicious mangoes, and stepping out again on the playground. But today as the world is changing at a fast pace and advanced technologies & gadgets are directing our lives on a large scale; our young generation is toggling between video games and iPads. Peeking out the window has been replaced with browsing the internet on the Windows operating system, building sandcastles has taken the place of building homes in Minecraft, and playing cricket with friends on the ground is now all about XBOX and PlayStation VR.
Kids are explorers with curious minds. No kid can make the most of leisure time unless the parent(s) provide them encouragement and access to activities that enable the child to grasp vital developmental tasks. Parents are their children’s first teachers from day one. Their teachings, culture, words, and behavior get deeply rooted in a child’s mind for a lifetime. Kids’ minds are like soils, the parent/mentor sows the seeds of positive thoughts, motivation, courage, and empathy in it, and perpetually nurtures the sapling by teaching them the importance of passion, dedication, self-esteem, and determination so that their roots get strengthened and they bloom to live a dignified life.
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow”
Even though Gen Alpha (Born after 2012) and Gen Z (Born after 1997) are predominantly living in a digital world; it’s the parent(s)’/mentor(s)’ duty to take up wise actions and open the doors to reality for them. And one extremely wonderful, fun as well as a healthy way to do that is fostering the hobby of gardening in a child’s mind. Summer days can be unpleasant as they bring sweltering heat and related health problems. And as Global Warming is upsurging year after year, it has become tough for many to be involved in everyday jobs. Then imagine the situation of children as they cannot get involved in physical activities for a long period without feeling tired and weak. Every parent needs to let their child be a child by exploring the world outside. Let your kids get involved with nature through planting and gardening activities as nature cultivates a child’s mindset in numerous ways. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to get locked up within four walls of the home, many communities globally began cultivating fresh vegetables in their backyard, rooftops and window grills which served many purposes (i) Groceries were hardly available anywhere so people got to grow their organic kitchen gardening (ii) The kids in the house got to discover and learn planting and gardening (iii) The parents got to spend insightful time with kids (iv) It helped with sustaining fresh & clean air which is much required today, especially in urban areas.
You know nature is great for the virtuous growth of your children but very few do something about it. This is where you need an organic gardening workshop for kids.
Youngsters who are engaged with gardening as a hobby, harvest a bunch of benefits for themselves to lead a brighter future.
Here are some data-driven reasons why gardening is the perfect choice for your kids’ physical and mental health, this summer vacation:
1. It lets the kid get much-required daily exercise
Just like elders and adults, it is crucial for any youngster to have everyday body movement which helps in proper blood circulation, builds healthy joints, strengthens bones, and much more. Being idle and sitting excessively in one place is associated with multiple diseases. You might not see the symptoms now but your children can suffer its consequences once they are fully grown adults. The tasks involved in planting and gardening demand digging, scraping, sowing seeds, adding compost, getting rid of yellow/old leaves, and watering; which uses a variety of muscles, and this in turn – fulfills daily exercise requirements in kids.
2. It boosts and protects the child’s memory
Studies show that those who are involved in gardening activities have better memory, concentration, thinking ability, and creativity. It enhances a child’s mental health as their attention gets diverted in the right direction of caring for the plant and growing something out of it, which also eliminates any negative thoughts and feelings.
3. It implants a sense of responsibility and affection in kids
As growing flowers, fruits and vegetables take proper care and attention; it builds a sense of warmth, empathy, patience, kindness, and accountability in children for their entire lifespan. Acquiring all these qualities in childhood shapes a virtuous personality at every stage and situation of life.
4. It keeps kids active, happy, and ecstatic
Which kid wouldn’t love digging some nails in the dirt? It can make them excited and happy at the same time. The bacteria that live in soil known as Mycobacterium vaccae escalate the levels of serotonin in humans and reduce anxiety. Children perform their chores better when they’re exposed to green spaces as gardening alleviates the signs of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) in children
5. It boosts the levels of vitamins and reinforces immunity
Gardening means being under the sun at least for a few minutes, which benefits the human body with increased calcium levels and greater immune system – and both these things are vital in maintaining good health, especially during an ongoing pandemic.
6. It helps the child with math and science
Learning the techniques of gardening provides a basic sense of math and science as it takes observation of plant’s growth stages besides knowing how much water & compost to use, and when so it also develops STEM and analytical abilities.
7. It reinforces a child’s psychological wellbeing
Sowing seeds and growing fruits and vegetables at home stimulates positive emotions and it also fosters the feelings of connection as children get an opportunity to enjoy gardening with parents and family which strengthens their bonding with family members, friends, and people that they know in general.
8. It helps them eat healthier
Kids involved in hands-on organic kitchen gardening sessions develop an increased snacking preference for fruits and vegetables as they are excited to consume what they’ve grown over a period of time. Moreover, they are getting freshly produced veggies and fruits which eliminates the consumption of those which are treated with pesticides in markets.
Let your child use this summer vacation as an opportunity to learn something exciting with an organic kitchen gardening workshop for kids brought together by Nudge Passion and Earthoholics. While gardening for kids is an enriching use of summer holidays, there are so many other hobbies and activities a child can take up from the comfort of home, to stay productive. For more ideas and inspiration, check out Nudge Passion’s carefully curated courses and workshops which are credible as well as economically.
You might think the kids are nurturing gardens but it’s the garden that’d nurture them for a lifetime.