How to garden with children
Those who, as a child, had the opportunity to cultivate the vegetable garden, sowing it and taking care of it until maturity and then gathering and bringing to the table the fabulous first fruits produced with their work, could enjoy an important training experience. Gardening, although considered by many as a simple hobby for retired men and women, is actually an activity that is good for the spirit and body , not only for adults but also for children.
Through the contact with nature and the earth and the awareness of its rhythms and its treasures, children will learn to love and respect the environment and, once they become adults, they will work to protect and preserve it.
Gardening also allows children to discover new materials and elements, to have fun with the earth, stones and plants, but also to cultivate the art of patience and calm , qualities that can be very useful for children from more restless soul, that once they have collected and tasted the fruits of their work they will feel even more gratified and encouraged to continue taking care of their garden.
As a link between environmental education and food education, more and more schools are starting to practice gardening with children, creating with them an educational garden that they will have to cultivate and take care of throughout the year, following the indications and the guide of teachers. The fruits of this teamwork, made up of cooperation, organization and passion , in many schools are then cooked and served in their own school canteen,
To continue the work started at school in a profitable way or even to fill this gap, if in your children’s school there are no educational gardens or projects of this type, you too can propose to your children to garden together , presenting it as a nice activity to do in the open air, getting a little dirty and learning about many new elements.