Gardening as a Learning Experience

  Do you remember when you were a kid playing in the dirt? Did your mom fuss at you for getting covered in mud and hose you off outside before you could come in the house? Good times. Great memories!

  When we were kids, we did not think of such things as work or a chore. Over time, some of us lose our curiosity about the outdoor world as we trudge through daily life. We lose touch with nature and what made us, as children, question why things happen.

  Working out in the yard utilizes two of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences; kinesthetic and naturalist intelligences. Pulling weeds requires your brain to activate on two levels. The naturalist intelligence has to determine which plant is a weed and which is a plant that you want to keep. When you pull the weed, you may have to dig deep if  it is a particular type of weed, like crabgrass, especially if you don’t want it to return. I have discovered, through sore muscles the day after, that I don’t use my kinesthetic intelligence enough.

The next time you think about working in a yard, I am sure your kids will get more than they bargained for and a few new neural connections to boot! Interaction with the natural world may even help boost their science scores! Here’s a few ideas:

§  If you live in an urban area, try a container garden! I live in a suburban area and have deer problems, so I container garden on my back porch. We even grew a watermelon!

§  Have your kids help design a flower or vegetable garden that they can call their own. Show them pictures on the web of what weeds look like and show them how to use the gardening tools.  

§  Identify native birds and animals. Build a birdhouse or feeder. 

§  Build a weather station. My family has done this several times with PVC piping and inexpensive supplies from a lawn and garden shop.

There are immediate health benefits to playing with nature.

§  The exercise! It may help get your kids out from in front of the TV and reduce their risk for obesity.

§  Fresh fruit or veggies will help teach kids how to eat a healthy diet. 

§  Improves hand and eye coordination and develops fine motor skills. 

So what are you waiting for? Grow something today!