What do children learn from gardening??

Gardening fascinates and promotes young explorers in a variety of ways

In the past, childhood mostly took place outside: the kids were out in the woods and thickets, running across meadows and fields or helping out in farm and home gardens. Even small children made important experiences in nature and acquired knowledge of animal and plant science in a playful way, but also in physics, technology, chemistry and meteorology. They watched in agriculture and horticulture, knew the sequence of the seasons and knew where the food came from.

The childhood of parents and grandparents is hardly comparable to today’s childhood in urban areas. In the past, a lot took place in the fresh air. Today the children often sit in closed rooms. Instead of raging with contemporaries, people often sit alone in front of the TV or the game console. A common “family garden” with children’s beds and snack hedges can be a sensible alternative because gardening promotes and challenges children in a variety of ways. This article tries to summarize what children can learn from gardening.