Little Green Thumbs Grow Healthy Children

Benefits of Gardening for Children

Exposure to healthy foods, moderate physical activity, and positive social interactions while gardening in childhood can lead to a lifetime of gardening, as evidenced by semi-structured interviews conducted with participants ranging in age from 18-85 years old. In a nationwide telephone survey of 2,004 respondents, people who reported picking vegetables, taking care of plants, or living next to a garden in childhood were more likely to continue gardening as they aged and to form lasting positive relationships with gardens and trees. When third to fifth grade students who participated in a one-year gardening program filled out a survey of life skills, they showed a significant increase in self-understanding, interpersonal relationship skills, and ability to work in groups compared to nonparticipating students. Qualitative surveys of 52 second and third grade students working in a community garden classroom program in San Antonio revealed that participants were likely to have positive bonding experiences with their parents and other adults. Children who garden are more accepting of others who are different from themselves, a finding consistent with research that indicates that community gardening projects “grow” community.Children who grow their own food are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and to show higher levels of knowledge about nutrition. They are also more likely to continue healthy eating habits through- out their lives. Eating fruits and vegetables in childhood has been shown to be an important predictor of higher fruit and vegetable consumption in adulthood, which can help prevent or delay chronic disease conditions over a lifetime.Students who are actively engaged in garden projects tend to enjoy learning and show improved attitudes towards education. Third, fourth and fifth grade students who participated in school gardening activities scored significantly higher on science achievement tests than students who did not experience any garden-based learning activities. Parent involvement, shown to enhance student achievement, increases at schools with garden programs.The process of gardening gives empowering experiences. Students engaged in designing and maintaining gardens show an increase in self-efficacy, pro-environmental attitudes and environmental stewardship.