"Seeing a seed you planted through to harvest offers a sense of accomplishment and then being able to share your harvest with others a sense of pride." -Sarah Ponders
Sarah Ponders is the education specialist at KidsGardening.org. Her goal is to inspire the creation of youth gardens around the world.
About the Benefits of Gardening:
"Gardening contributes to the physical, mental, emotional and social development of children. Physical Development: Gardening provides opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills. It provides exercise and it offers outdoor activities in a natural setting. Gardening has also been shown to improve nutritional attitudes and encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. Mental Development: Gardens are constantly changing and thus engage thinking, foster curiosity and inspire creativity without being overstimulating. Gardens provide a mental break from the constant bombardment of technology. Emotional Development: Watching a garden grow helps children learn patience and perseverance. Seeing a seed you planted through to harvest offers a sense of accomplishment and then being able to share your harvest with others a sense of pride. Social Development: The garden provides shared goals and helps children learn about the benefits of teamwork in a non-competitive environment. Gardens have a way of bringing people together and offers common ground to boost relationships and interactions."
"These are just a few of the many benefits. In addition to these benefits, I think the most crucial reason that every child needs to garden is to understand the challenges involved in growing crops so they can appreciate the hard work of our farmers. A garden also allows children to better understand the importance of plants in our environment and see the complex web of life of our ecosystem. Through this knowledge comes respect for our environment and motivation to protect our natural resources."
"Gardening contributes to the physical, mental, emotional and social development of children. Physical Development: Gardening provides opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills. It provides exercise and it offers outdoor activities in a natural setting. Gardening has also been shown to improve nutritional attitudes and encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. Mental Development: Gardens are constantly changing and thus engage thinking, foster curiosity and inspire creativity without being overstimulating. Gardens provide a mental break from the constant bombardment of technology. Emotional Development: Watching a garden grow helps children learn patience and perseverance. Seeing a seed you planted through to harvest offers a sense of accomplishment and then being able to share your harvest with others a sense of pride. Social Development: The garden provides shared goals and helps children learn about the benefits of teamwork in a non-competitive environment. Gardens have a way of bringing people together and offers common ground to boost relationships and interactions."
"These are just a few of the many benefits. In addition to these benefits, I think the most crucial reason that every child needs to garden is to understand the challenges involved in growing crops so they can appreciate the hard work of our farmers. A garden also allows children to better understand the importance of plants in our environment and see the complex web of life of our ecosystem. Through this knowledge comes respect for our environment and motivation to protect our natural resources."
Sarah's Perspective:
"I love plants and grew up in a household that was very garden centered. As an adult, I discovered there were so many people out there who did not understand how important plants are in our lives and I wanted to change that. I want everyone else to love plants too!"
"I love plants and grew up in a household that was very garden centered. As an adult, I discovered there were so many people out there who did not understand how important plants are in our lives and I wanted to change that. I want everyone else to love plants too!"