Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Kids and gardening in the time of Covid
At the time I recorded this, Minnesota’s Stay At Home order was to be lifted on May 4th. It was extended to May 18th. Social distancing and keeping in check the virus means gardening is the place to be! And gardening with your kids is a great activity for several reasons! First, who doesn’t love playing in the dirt?
Turns out, that while we weren’t trying to be healthy, diggin’ in the dirt is good for grades and a whole lot more! There are multiple studies regarding the benefits of outdoor play for children for everything from behavior to health to grades. There’s a natural bacteria in soil that helps build their immune systems and can also boost our mental health. Gardening provides kids with an opportunity to be creative and notice nature as well.
The National Garden Bureau shared numerous tips on kids and gardening through KidsGardening.org.
They offer a wide variety of fun garden activities
garden basics and even lesson plans. Just don’t tell the kids it’s a “lesson”. Seriously check these links for a TON of options!
Remember, “the garden is no place to stress for success but to soak up some sun and renew your spirit”. The proof is piling up that your spirit and your body will be renewed by getting dirty too.
So, let your kids, and yourself, muck around in the mud, grab some sunshine and let the healing begin.
