“If kids grow kale, kids eat kale. if they grow tomatoes, they eat tomatoes. But when none of this is presented to them, if they’re not shown how food affects the mind and the body, they blindly eat whatever’s put in front of them”
Ron Finley
Gardening is an excellent activity for children, which brings many benefits to them:
- Encourages healthy eating - a child who is involved in gardening will always eat own harvested food.
- Encourages physical activity - the child can spend several hours digging the soil, composting, planting, watering or harvesting.
- Stimulates self-confidence - the child sees that his actions, though after some time, bring results.
- Develops analytical thinking and decision-making skills - the child has to think: is it a good place to plant? Is there enough sun? Does the plant need watering already?
- Calms - the little gardener spends time in fresh air, gardening creates flow and gives a kid a chance to meditate and increases the positive emotions.
I am glad that Ale has the opportunity to see the real miracle - how the kale sprouts from the small grain into the huge leaf. She eats this plant that is full of nutrients as she walks nearby. Ale went to Waldorf kindergarten, where gardening has an important role. Philosopher Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the Waldorf education system, is also the inspirer of biodynamic agriculture. This is the approach we use in our garden as well - a variety of plants, organic compost, which allows, without chemical additives, to get a healthy soil and, consequently, a product rich in vitamins and minerals. According to Confucius, “if your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for then years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children ”. The most important thing we can teach our children is mindfulness, which includes love of self and the environment.