As a youngster, I remember being sent outside with nothing more than a soccer ball or a bicycle to keep me entertained. Messy play was by way of gardening , muddy hands and all ! But now days our kids are hooked on TV, addicted to iPads and attached to their phones. Playdates with neat baths and kinetic sand or soap bubbles are the closest they will get to gardening or messy play.
And let’s face it; most of them are more likely to tear open a Twinkie than munch on a carrot.
According to Discovery Health, almost 20% of South African children are considered overweight or obese and this problem is getting increasingly worse. So how do we ensure that our children grow up with both a healthy outlook on life and a healthy BMI?
In SA we’re blessed with a wonderful climate, with nearly 11 months of sunshine a year. This makes growing your own vegetables and fruit a very real possibility, even if you think you don’t have the space. If you have a patch of sunshine, either on your balcony or in your back garden, you can produce your own food and reap the benefits.
5 reasons why getting your kids gardening is a great idea
1. It teaches them life skills. This generation is all about instant gratification but once they’ve spent days waiting for a strawberry to turn the perfect shade of red, they’ll learn both patience and gratitude.
2. I can bet that if I asked some kids (and some adults) how a broccoli grows, few would actually know. Growing your own can help you brush up on some basic biology and learn more about food production.
3. They’ll learn respect for the environment. When they see the miracles nature produces they’ll be less likely to waste precious resources and more likely to protect our planet.
4. It can save you money in the long run! Although setting up may require a small initial outlay of cash, you’ll soon start to save money on your weekly grocery shop.
5. It encourages an interest in healthy eating (and is a great form of exercise too). Once your child has nibbled on their first juicy carrot or bitten into a sun-ripened tomato – they’ll be hooked.
When is the best time to introduce your kids to gardening
Spring has just arrived, so now’s the best time to get cracking (or gardening!) Starting off can be as simple as visiting your local nursery, choosing some seedlings and asking for a little advice. I used a company called How Splendid to help me set up my own garden. They also offer vegetable boxes for smaller spaces and special kiddies’ boxes too.
Ultimately though, I’m doing it for another reason – I want to help create childhood memories my kids will treasure for years to come. Because as Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote in The Secret Garden:
“However many years she lived, Mary always felt that she should never forget that first morning”
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6 Responses
Angela Frey Just checked it out – absolutely awesome. I've already done all our Spring planting, but will definitely keep this in mind for next year. Thanks!!
Angela Frey Will do, thanks!
Hi Mia, check out square foot gardening, oli and I are doing it as our summer school garden project…
Pavement initiative sounds fantastic!
Wonderful idea! I love gardening with my kids. And we've added one more good reason – to give back. We grow a full veggie garden on our pavement area so all the local homeless people (and neighbours) can help themselves to some wholesome food!
on Saturday my 4yr old son and I went seed shopping so that we can finally start our garden.(have waited.
2yrs for grass to start growing)…he was so excited and chose the vegetables! that we will be planting.. to be honest with you I was thinking of planting flowers and plants but seeing how excited he was I didn't want to burst his bubble and let him choose and decide what will be planted….so I'm hoping that in a couple months we have delicious carrots, tomatoes, watermelons and cayenne peppers( I say nothing)….