{"id":14091,"date":"2016-09-28T11:16:52","date_gmt":"2016-09-28T09:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/responsive.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents\/?p=14091"},"modified":"2022-06-21T12:53:13","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T10:53:13","slug":"sowing-the-seeds-of-your-kids-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/activities-and-outings\/extra-murals\/sowing-the-seeds-of-your-kids-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Gardening with kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think gardening…<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re anything like me, and I\u2019m a self-confessed kugel who can kill one of those expensive-yet-hardy succulents from Woolies, you think, \u2018Real gardening \u2013 the kind that makes food \u2013 is for grown-ups.’<\/p>\n

Right?\u00a0Gardening means schmutz, earthworms, hosepipes, and tormented manicures, and all manner of things better dealt with by sensible adults.<\/p>\n

But, recently, since we got a garden, I\u2019ve become sort-of-interested in home-grown fruit, veggies and herbs. My manicure has vanished in a puff of fresh air. My lettuce is organic and tasty, but wonky and snail-snaffled. And the kids are growing sort-of-interested alongside me.<\/p>\n

(In fairness, the little one wants to eat all of the strawberries, ripe and unripe, and the big one likes the whimsical papery \u2018carriages\u2019 that the gooseberries come in, but it\u2019s a start.)<\/p>\n

So I\u2019ve been thinking:\u00a0What’s the up side to letting littlies loose in the garden?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I consulted someone who knows more about this than perhaps anyone else in the city: Caro Tapson, former pro\u00a0landscaper (specialising in edible gardening), mom, and owner of Seedling Stokvel<\/a>*.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what Caro told me:
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  1. Gardening builds children\u2019s brains<\/strong>, because it\u2019s a tool for learning larger concepts. It\u2019s an introduction to science, the weather, and seasons.<\/li>\n
  2. Gardening \u2013 at least, the successful kind \u2013 requires planning, thinking, and problem solving<\/strong>, which are great skills for people of any age.<\/li>\n
  3. It\u2019s a crucial first step in helping kids to develop eco-savvy, a sense of environmental responsibility<\/strong>, and a commitment to conservation.<\/li>\n
  4. In an indoor digital world, gardening can be a robust physical activity<\/strong>, on a level that\u2019s fun and different. It\u2019s also a valuable way to work in teams, since collaboration or heavy lifting are required.<\/li>\n
  5. Kids are more\u00a0motivated to eat healthily<\/strong> when they work to grow their own food; there\u2019s a link between what they\u2019re \u2018making\u2019 and what they\u2019re eating.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Photo by Anna Earl on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    So now what? The basics:<\/h2>\n
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    1. You don\u2019t need a lot of space<\/strong>! (I put off having a veggie garden til I had \u2018enough space\u2019, but it turns out that my tiny apartment balcony would have been perfect way back when.) You can create a \u2018garden\u2019 anywhere if there\u2019s sun and access to water. Just install a vertical trellis or use pots.<\/li>\n
    2. Choose cleverly<\/strong>. Herbs are easy and work well for grown-up gardening, but kids aren\u2019t going to get a great thrill out of parsley, because not much happens while it\u2019s growing. And they probably won\u2019t want to eat it. So get them inspired by planting slightly<\/em> more challenging<\/em> but much more exciting<\/em> plants like mini-cucumbers, berries and tomatoes.<\/li>\n
    3. Kids love watering<\/strong> things. Your carpets probably know this already. There\u2019s also raking, composting, hunting for snails and other bugs (and disposing of them humanely), mulching (applying compost, lawn dressing, leaves, grass cuttings, etc., to conserve moisture), and much more.<\/li>\n
    4. Cover up open sores<\/strong> on kiddies\u2019 hands or feet. (Compost can contain bacteria that are usually harmless but not good for wounds.) Watch out for thorny plants, remove anything poisonous, and get kids into the habit of gardening in shoes; bees like to hang out on the ground in summer.<\/li>\n
    5. Create seasonal gardening goals<\/strong>. In spring, prepare beds and plant seeds in homemade or store-bought seedling trays. In summer, water in the evenings, watch the seeds grow and plate out seedlings. In autumn, pull out dead plants, harvest late summer produce and mulch beds. And in winter, rake, make compost, and feed the birds. Winter is also a great time for kids to plan what they want to do in spring. The planning is the fun part!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      My variety tray has arrived, so tomorrow afternoon it\u2019s into the garden to place and plant this season\u2019s white and purple aubergines, yellow pear tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, red onions, globe artichokes, cabbages, celery, snacking cucumbers, butternut, green peppers, habaneros and jalapenos.<\/p>\n

      Disclaimer<\/strong><\/em>: I\u2019ll have our gardener\u2019s help for the heavy lifting and the green thumb, and the kids for assistance and entertainment. All I need to do is help Her 5-Year-Old Majesty pick the right wellies.<\/p>\n

      * Caro Tapson<\/strong> owns Seedling Stokvel, which enables Joburg gardeners to buy (and have delivered!) 128-plug seasonal seedling trays.<\/p>\n

      This article was originally written for Jozikids by Tiffany Markman in 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n

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