10 Benefits of Gardening with Kids that Will Motivate You to Get Your Hands Dirty and Start Growing Your Own Food

Discover 10 benefits of gardening for children and get motivated to start today! The benefits of gardening are numerous and well-documented.

Gardening can be a wonderful way to bond with your family and spend quality time together. A garden is a fantastic place for children to grow while they learn and play. If you want, you can even add a nature curriculum or unit study to reinforce learning while in the garden.

But gardening doesn’t just benefit children, it benefits the whole family and encourages children to live a more mindful, healthy lifestyle.

Your garden doesn’t need to be the biggest or the best. If you are a beginner, choose one or two different plants to keep it simple and not overwhelm yourself. Every family’s garden and journey will look different, depending on your goals and starting point.

So whether you decide to grow flowers, vegetables, or fruit… or whether you live on an acre of land or only have a balcony to grow on… keep reading to learn about the benefits of gardening for kids, and some pointers to get you started.

What are the 10 Benefits of Gardening with Kids?

Now let’s get started by discussing 10 benefits of gardening:

1. A Garden Can Help Teach Children the Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle

Gardening is one of the healthiest hobbies you can take up. Gardening is also one of the best ways to model a healthy lifestyle for children. If you are growing fruits and veggies in your garden, children will take pride in the food they have grown themselves. If children are not used to eating fresh fruits or veggies, give them some time and they will try it eventually as they get their taste buds used to a simpler palette.

Children are more likely to try more fruits and vegetables if they have grown them themselves. They are proud of the fruits and vegetables they have grown and become more familiar with them now that they know where they come from. Growing your own food is a great way to get a picky eater to try something new!

Children will gain nutritional awareness and see the importance of a healthy diet. Plus, fruits and veggies boost the immune system and make us feel good overall. 

Even if you are growing flowers in your garden and not vegetables, getting out in the sunshine and staying active models an active and healthy lifestyle for our children. This is an important lifelong lesson they will carry with them throughout their lives.

2. Gardening Promotes Physical Activity

Gardening can also be great exercise! Getting outside and working in the garden gets children’s bodies moving. If you have teens in the house, I know it can be hard to get them outside sometimes. Gardening is the perfect opportunity to motivate them to get outside and get some sunshine.

Sometimes kids will need a little more direction from you. You can keep them moving by having them bring you tools, dig small holes, pull weeds, collect debris, spread compost, water the plants, harvest the veggies, or help with any other garden projects you may have going on. Children enjoy feeling useful and productive. 

Working in the garden works every major muscle group and builds strength as you lift, dig, till, rake, etc.  Movement of any kind is good! Exercise doesn’t always have to happen at the gym or during a “workout”. According to an article entitled “Everyday Calorie Burners” by WedMD, performing heavy yard work burns 400-600 calories per hour. Light gardening and yard work activities like pulling weeds and planting flowers can burn 200-400 calories per hour. 

Being outside also provides us with the Vitamin D levels that we all need. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is best to have sun exposure for 5 to 30 minutes a day, for several days of the week to reach optimal levels of vitamin D. So even 20 minutes of gardening activity every day is enough to keep vitamin D at healthy levels. Try setting a timer to make sure you spend enough time outside.

Gardening can be physically demanding, so don’t overwhelm children with physical tasks. If it feels like they are being forced, children will view gardening as a chore instead of an enjoyable activity. If you start slow and let them take plenty of breaks, they will grow to love gardening and build many happy memories along the way.

3. Mental Health Benefits of Gardening

The mental benefits of gardening are numerous. Getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine provides stress relief, which in turn reduces levels of anxiety and depression and improves mental health. There is something about performing repetitive tasks that soothes and grounds me. Finding healthy coping mechanisms and hobbies that fulfill us is a great way to model the importance of self-care to our children. I definitely feel less depressed after gardening… it is inevitable (and wonderful)!

In a study by NIH on gardening and stress levels, it was found that gardening can improve anxiety because it decreases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Their findings provide evidence that gardening can provide relief from acute stress.

Kids and parents with ADHD or other issues especially benefit from physical movement and getting outside. Many children with ADHD are “sensory-seekers”. These children may seek out additional sensory input. A garden is a great place for them to explore their five senses. 

Regular gardening provides children with sensory input and it benefits ALL children, not only those with ADHD. We can teach our children mindfulness in the garden using sensory input as the focus. Encourage children to feel the dirt in their hands, see the colors of different plants, smell the flowers, hear the birds, and maybe even taste a fruit or vegetable. Teaching children how to ground themselves using their senses is very beneficial and is something they can carry with them throughout their entire lives.

4. Gardening Gets Kids Outside!

An overwhelming amount of research has shown that time spent outdoors boosts your mood.

I know it can be difficult to encourage kids to spend more time outdoors in the digital age. Our family spends a lot of time playing video games or using other technology, especially for homeschooling. I balance that by trying to get the kids outside every day, weather permitting. We live in the Midwest and the winters can be a little rough!

Gardening is a great way to get teens to take a break from their phones and get some fresh air and vitamin D. They will be proud when they get to harvest from their garden and see that their hard work paid off.

Kids are free to create and use their imagination in the garden. Getting away from the screens for a while encourages kids to notice and appreciate the natural world around them, and helps to improve focus and attention.

5. Kids Will Learn from Hands-On Experience in the Garden

Learning happens all around us and is happening all the time. We just need to learn how to slow down sometimes and notice it. We are a homeschooling family (actually we are unschoolers), and the garden is a big part of our summer homeschooling, because it provides quality learning experiences for the children.

The astronomer Carl Sagan once stated, “Everybody starts out as a scientist. Every child has the scientist’s sense of wonder and awe”. As parents, we can keep this spark alive by providing our children with rich hands on learning experiences. One of the ways to do this is to work and play with kids in the garden.

There are so many opportunities for hands on learning in the garden. You can encourage children to explore concepts in more depth. Gardening can spark curiosity and provide hands on learning in multiple subjects such as science, math, history, art, and more. Children will also refine their fine motor skills as they work in the garden.

You can provide children with age-appropriate books about gardening, or read them aloud together. Art projects can be easily added to the gardening experience. The garden is essentially a giant science experiment. You can set up experiments by tracking different variables to see what works best for the plants in your garden.

Ask children questions along the way to spark their curiosity and reinforce learning. There are countless ways to do this while in the garden. Children will be thrilled when they see their plants sprout and mature. Kids will have a genuine interest in their garden, and they are likely to ask a lot of valuable questions.  

6. Gardening Develops Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills 

A garden is the perfect place to practice critical thinking and problem solving skills. Why did our plant not grow? What could we do to keep the rabbits out? What is the best place for our garden in the yard? Questions like these encourage children to find ways to resolve any obstacle that may come their way.

Gardening requires research and planning. I have ADHD and so do my children, so we know all about executive functioning difficulties. It is important for parents to try and help kids with motivation, planning, and following through with their plans. I know this is difficult sometimes if you also have ADHD as a parent. But by helping my children get motivated, I also motivate myself. It is ok not to be perfect or have the biggest garden in town. Sometimes simplicity is the key. Starting with a small garden is more manageable.

7. Gardening Gives Kids Confidence and Empowers Them 

Growing your own garden is empowering. As children watch their garden grow and thrive, they will feel a sense of accomplishment as their vegetables or flowers grow and mature. They will see that hard work pays off, and that they are capable of anything they set their mind to. This sense of accomplishment will boost their self esteem and empower them to go further and experiment with new things in the future. 

Children will develop a sense of purpose when they plan their own garden, plant the seeds themselves, and watch the plants grow. Children are often “on the low end of the totem pole” in the family. Allowing them to plan and care for their own garden gives children a voice and a sense of control. The pride they will feel after they harvest their fruits, veggies, or flowers will boost their self esteem.

Children will also notice how adding a garden to your living space makes your home look more welcoming and beautiful. This connects children with their family and instills a sense of pride about their home.

8. Gardening Develops Patience, Acceptance, and Responsibility

It takes time to plan a garden and care for the plants. It can take weeks or months for plants to grow and mature.  Children will learn that having patience is well worth the effort. Once they see their garden thriving, they will see that good things take time. They will see that the wait is worth it! 

Children will learn acceptance through trial and error in the garden as they try new things. Teach children to view “failures” or “mistakes” as learning experiences. I put quotations there because there is no such thing as failures or mistakes. Change your mindset to view mistakes and failures as valuable learning experiences, and share this positive mentality with your children to help them develop a growth mindset. 

Children will gain a sense of responsibility in the garden as they care for their plants and establish a gardening routine. Plants require a lot of attention and children will develop a sense of responsibility as they care for their garden. It can be difficult for adults to let go of control sometimes, but allowing children to work independently will empower them. 

9. Gardening Offers a Lovely Way of Spending Quality Family Time Together

Gardening gives kids a sense of belonging in the family as everyone works together to get the job done. Life can be so hectic sometimes. It can be hard to slow down and enjoy the present moment. Getting out in the garden allows us to take a step back and connect with our children. Working in the garden is a mindful activity and can be very soothing. It is important to remember to add activities like gardening or outside time into your day.  These mindful moments will strengthen the bonds within your family. 

Children will also be developing communication skills as they work with the family as a team in the garden. Having a shared purpose will help children develop a sense of cooperation as the family works toward a common goal.

I find that being outside in the garden naturally allows for some meaningful discussions with my children. When my children and I perform repetitive tasks in the garden, we talk about whatever comes to mind. These conversations are often valuable learning experiences for my children AND myself as I learn more about my children and their interests, struggles, and aspirations. Deep conversations spark curiosity and wonder in children and will instill a love of lifelong learning.

It can be difficult to find ways to bond with tweens and teens. The garden is a lovely place to encourage conversations with older children, free of distractions. These conversations provide a way to connect with our teens in a meaningful, relaxing, and calm way. Working in a community garden might be even better for older children and teens, to get them out in the world and connected with their community. 

Spending time in the garden together encourages children to work as a team. Children will have a sense of a shared purpose, which strengthens family bonds and shows them how to be good team members.

You will also build new family traditions and create positive memories for your children in the garden. My family has made so many great memories in the garden!

10. Gardening Teaches Kids to Care for the Environment and Live a More Simple Life

Sustainability and mindful living are two things I have set as a priority for my family AND myself. The concepts we learn in the garden like water conservation, composting food scraps, and growing our own food develops a sense of responsibility to care for our planet. It will also get them thinking about conservation, sustainability, and mindful living.

Gardening is a wonderful back-to-the-basics skill that shows children how much time and effort goes into growing the food we eat. Gardening will help them realize the importance of farmers and where our food comes from. It is easy to forget where the things we buy come from in our fast-paced, disconnected world. Gardening is a way for us to center ourselves and appreciate the hard work that goes into the food we eat. 

Children will start to view themselves as agents of change. They will see that they can make a difference. This may inspire them to advocate for sustainable living and the environment. Every person who makes mindful decisions to live a less wasteful life contributes to a better future for our planet. 

10 Benefits of Gardening with Kids: Tips and Tricks to Get Started

If you have little or no experience with gardening it can feel overwhelming to get started, especially having the kids involved. Just remember to keep it simple. I have had many “failures” in the garden. When a plant I tried to grow doesn’t make it, I don’t get too upset about it… I just try to see what I can do differently next time. The garden is like a giant science experiment! You can always pivot and keep trying new things.

Here are some other tips:

Let children choose what they will be growing

Giving children a sense of control over planning their gardens motivates them to do their best to make their gardens succeed. Try printing out pictures of different plants, cut them out, and let kids position them on a map of the yard. They will see that they have complete freedom to arrange their garden however they like, which empowers and motivates them.

Think about options such as an herb garden, a vegetable garden, or a garden full of beautiful colorful flowers. You could even do a combination of them all.

Keep in Mind Some Safety Precautions

Of course there are certain safety precautions to take in the garden. Keep in mind these safety precautions as recommended by the CDC:

• Pay attention to the warnings on any chemicals you may use in your garden.
• Wear gloves ad shoes in the garden to protect your hands and feet from injuries or plants that may cause itching or have thorns.
• Make sure to wear sunscreen, and use bug spray if needed
• Check for ticks after gardening
• Drink water and take shade breaks as needed
• Keep an eye on sharp tools, and assist children as needed when using them
• Make sure you are up to date on your vaccinations, particularly tetanus. Tetanus naturally occurs in the soil, and it is important that we are protected from it.

Pay close attention to posture. Stop working if you or your children feel pain in your back or anywhere else. Stay in tune with your body, and teach children to do the same. When my body starts to ache from working in the garden, I take a break and usually do some yoga stretches to realign my body and remind myself of proper posture. Taking a break always resets and refreshes me to get back out and work some more. 

Keep it Simple

Don’t overwhelm your children or yourself by trying to do too much. I know it is all too tempting to buy all the plants, seeds, or supplies you see at the gardening center. I am a stay at home mom… between homeschooling, blogging, and keeping up with homemaking duties, it is easy to end up in full burnout mode if I am not careful.

Remind yourself that simplicity is the key to success, especially at first. Don’t make gardening feel like a chore! And don’t forget to celebrate the small victories along the way.

Stay Flexible

Things do not always go as planned in the garden, especially with children around. Learn how to be adaptable and make the best out of any situation. This an excellent way to model to our children how to keep a growth mindset and overcome obstacles that may come our way.

View failures as learning experiences

It is important to keep an optimistic mindset and learn from our mistakes in the garden. I have made many mistakes along the way, but because of my mistakes, I am not likely to make those same mistakes again. Foster a growth mindset in your children while working in the garden.

Make It Fun – Try Growing Your Own Food!

Do not make the garden a place of “all work and no play”.

Make sure kids have downtime in the garden so they can freely explore. If the garden is only ever a place of work, children may start to resent going out to the garden instead of looking forward to it. Play in the garden often to create positive memories around gardening.

I noticed my children became more invested in gardening when we started growing things we could actually eat! Try growing a few of your children’s favorite fruits or vegetables in the garden.

Enjoy the journey

Take a step back and enjoy the special moments you will experience with your children in the garden. I have many fond memories of working in the garden and playing in the yard with my children. It is easy to be engrossed in what you are doing in the garden, but remember to look over at your children and observe them learning and falling in love with gardening and the natural world.

Gardening Resources to Get You Started

From Seed To Spoon:  – The Seed to Spoon app is amazing! I use the free version to plan my garden and keep track of my plants every year. You get personalized planting and harvest dates, companion planting guides, help with pests, and even suggested recipes from the garden. They also have a unique feature in which you can filter plants by health benefits. 

Kids Gardening Website: This is a great website with gardening activities and gardening curriculums for various ages. They also have a community to keep you motivated and connected with like-minded families.

Square Foot Gardening with Kids Book: This is our homeschool project for this summer. Square-foot gardening saves time, space, water, and effort. For kids, you start with a 3×3 raised garden bed (it’s easy to make I promise) and divide it into square-foot areas. All you have to do is follow the guide to how many seeds can be sown in each square foot area. It is a great introduction to gardening for kids, and provides plenty of math practice!

These are just a few resources to get you started. There are numerous homeschool gardening resources available to guide you through the process.

You can also explore other productivity tools to help you plan your garden and stay organized. Sometimes a simple spiral notebook will do the trick!

Final Thoughts: Benefits of Gardening with Kids

As you can see, there are so many benefits of gardening with kids. Gardening can help improve your mood and overall well-being. Not only is it great physical exercise, it can also help with many common mental health struggles. Growing vegetables or fruit in your garden will lead to children who are more willing to try healthy foods, fosters healthy eating habits, and models a healthy lifestyle. So gather the kids, get outside, get your hands dirty, and start gardening today!

Frequently Asked Questions about Gardening with Kids

What are 10 benefits of gardening with children?

Gardening offers a variety of benefits. Gardening teaches children the importance of a healthy lifestyle, promotes physical exercise, gets them outside, boosts self-esteem, cultivates a love of the natural world, reduces anxiety, develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills, gives kids a sense of responsibility, cultivates patience and acceptance, and is an opportunity to spend quality time together as a family. 

How can I get started gardening with children?

Start with a simple project. Get children invested in gardening by allowing them to choose their plants and prep their garden area. If you want to grow vegetables, perhaps start with a few tomato plants. Maybe your child would prefer to grow pretty flowers. Allow children to take control in age-appropriate ways as much as possible. Children will feel proud of their garden, and see that hard work pays off. 

At what age can children start gardening?

Even very young children can help in the garden and care for a few plants of their own. For toddlers and preschoolers, let them decide on a few plants to grow. Young children can also help water the plants, spread compost, or harvest veggies when they are ready. If you are growing flowers, children can collect flowers and make bouquets. There are so. many creative ways to get children of all ages involved in the garden. 

How can I keep my children interested in gardening?

Don’t make gardening feel like a chore. Make gardening time fun and relaxed for everyone, so children will associate happy memories with being outside and working in the garden. Try to add in fun projects. You could make wind chimes, paint garden boxes or vases, or maybe make a bug hotel. A garden scavenger hunt might be a fun idea. Get creative and keep kids engaged and interested in their garden.