Happy Days Fruit and Vegetable Garden
Happy Days vegetable garden is a place where young children can learn about nature, grow their own plants, and have fun outdoors. Gardening with children has many benefits for their physical, mental, and emotional development. Here are some of the advantages of having a childrens nursery garden:
Responsibility, Senses, Creativity and Skills
Gardening teaches children patience and responsibility. Plants need regular care and attention to grow and thrive. The children can learn to wait for their seeds to sprout, water their plants, weed their garden, and harvest their crops. They can also learn to take pride in their work and enjoy the fruits of their labor¹,².
Gardening stimulates children’s senses and curiosity. Gardening is a sensory-rich activity that engages all five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. The children can explore different colours, shapes, textures, scents, and sounds of plants and animals in the garden. They can also ask questions and learn new words related to gardening¹,³.
Gardening helps children develop fine motor skills and creativity. Gardening involves many small movements that strengthen the muscles in the hands and fingers. Children can practice picking up seeds, digging holes, planting bulbs, pruning branches, and writing labels. They can also express their creativity by designing their own garden layout, making plant markers, or creating crafts with natural materials¹,².
Healthy Eating
Gardening promotes healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Gardening can encourage the children to try new fruits and vegetables that they have grown themselves. They can also learn about the nutritional value and benefits of different plants. Gardening can also help children get more physical activity and fresh air outside¹,².
Wellbeing and Health
Gardening boosts children’s well-being and happiness. Gardening can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in children by providing them with a relaxing and rewarding hobby. It can also increase their self-esteem, confidence, and social skills by giving them a sense of achievement and belonging. Gardening can also foster a love of nature and a respect for the environment in children¹,².
And finally, recent research has show that gardening boosts a child’s immune system. Click below to see this article from the Helsinki University
To Summarise
At Happy Days the vegetable garden is more than just a patch of land with some plants. It is a learning space where children can grow in many ways. By gardening with the children our teachers can help them develop valuable skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will benefit them throughout their lives.
- Benefits of gardening with kids – BBC Tiny Happy People. https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/benefits-of-gardening-with-kids/znrntrd
- The Importance and Benefits of Teaching Gardening to Children Toddlers …. https://www.montessorinature.com/importance-benefits-gardening-children-toddlers-preschoolers/
- Benefits of Gardening with Kids | ELF | Early Learning Furniture. https://www.earlylearningfurniture.co.uk/blog/benefits-of-gardening-with-kids.aspx