by Tony Isaacs, NaturalNews
A new study conducted for Britain’s Royal
Horticultural Society (RHS) has found that encouraging children to learn
gardening boosts their development by helping them become happier, more
confident, and more resilient. In addition, gardening also helps teach children
patience and the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
The study was conducted by researchers at the National
Foundation for Children, who surveyed 1,300 teachers and 10 schools. Teachers
who used gardening as part of their learning experience reported that it
improved children’s readiness to learn. The teachers also reported that
gardening encouraged pupils to become more active in solving problems, as well
as boosted literacy and numeracy skills. Now the society is urging that
gardening should be incorporated as a key teaching tool in schools’ regular
curriculum instead of being an optional extra-curricular activity.
The report said: “Fundamental to the success of school
gardens in stimulating a love of learning was their ability to translate
sometimes dry academic subjects into practical, real world experiences.
Children were encouraged to get their hands dirty, in every sense. Teachers
involved in the research said the result was a more active, inquisitive
approach to learning. The changeable nature of gardening projects—where
anything from the weather to plant disease can affect the outcome—forced
children to become more flexible and better able to think on their feet and
solve problems.”
Dr Simon Thornton Wood, director of science and
learning at the RHS, said: “Schools which integrate gardens into the curriculum
are developing children who are much more responsive to the challenges of adult
life.”
Sadly, gardening has become a lost natural endeavor in
much of today’s urbanized societies. As a result, modern man is losing out on a
wealth of natural physical and mental health benefits. Gardening provides
aerobic, isotonic and isometric exercise, which benefits muscles and bones as
well as respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Such benefits help prevent
health problems such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis.
Strength, endurance and flexibility are also improved by gardening, which makes
it one of the best all-round exercises.
Physical exercise such as one gets from gardening
releases endorphins, which are natural compounds that alleviate stress and its
many negative health consequences. Studies have shown that simply being in a
garden lowers blood pressure. Gardening also fosters a good night’s sleep and
exposes people to both healthy sunshine and beneficial immune boosting soil
microorganisms.
Gardeners are more likely to eat a wide range of
fruit, vegetables, salad and herbs than non-gardeners, even if they don’t
cultivate the produce themselves. Eating a wide variety of fruits and
vegetables is essential to a healthy diet.
In addition to the benefits of physical activity,
gardening helps people reconnect with the natural world from whence they
sprang. It provides a calm oasis where one is lost in the moment and can be a
natural form of meditation that quiets the conscious mind. It can also be a
form of self-expression, enabling one to develop creativity and build
confidence while allowing a healthy outlet for emotions.
Furthermore, gardening helps develop a sense of
achievement where we are able to step back and see the differences we have made
and discover the small, important things in life. Gardeners tend to be hopeful
and philosophical people who look forward to future seasons, enjoy the present
and respect the past, and are more accepting when things are not perfect.
Clearly, teaching our children to garden, both at home
and at school, will help give them a head start at living and at appreciating a
more natural and healthy life.
