Gardening is a great way to get out outdoors and enjoy the benefits that nature offers the human body. Nature is known to improve mood, reduce stress and boost your physical health, which are just some of the reasons people love being outside.

However, gardening is a hobby that most adults enjoy but it can also be both rewarding and educational for children too. That’s why we’ve prepared this guide on the benefits of gardening for children, so you can see why you should invite your kids out to help you in the future.

This doesn’t matter if you’re gardening on a small plot of land or a garden fully equipped with a polytunnel, so read on to find out more.

Physical benefits

Gardening encourages your child to get active by doing tasks like digging, planting and weeding, which means they can get their daily exercise in. This can help them build strength and combat sedentary lifestyles, so they can grow up fit and healthy.

Educational benefits

Children can learn a lot when they’re assisting you with gardening as it provides practical lessons in biology, ecology and environmental science as they learn more about the natural world. Not only can this help with their gardening knowledge but could also boost their skills in school.

Mental benefits

As previously mentioned, being outdoors is known to be great for mental health and that can often be overlooked in children. By encouraging them to spend more time outside, it can help them manage any stress or anxiety they may have. This is particularly useful for children who struggle to regulate their emotions as they can put their energy into something other than their worries.

Learning new skills and succeeding in gardening can provide a confidence boost for them as well, which is so important for every child to experience as they grow up.

Social benefits

Children and parents will usually want to spend a lot of time with each other and gardening is an activity that encourages this. You can bond over the tidiness of the garden or the growth progress of your crops, which is rewarding for all.

Eating benefits

With so many delicious vegetables to grow, your kids can now eat what they’ve produced. This is a great way to encourage them to eat their five a day, which helps them stay healthy. Plus, picky eaters might be encouraged to try some new food!

Gardening is packed full of benefits as you can see, so we believe every child should be given the chance to do it. So, next time you head out to the garden to complete some tasks, invite your kids out and help them reap the rewards that this hobby offers.