GARDENING FOR KIDS What can kids gain from growing their own food? A lot. We’ve heard the stats – in Australia, by the time children enter prep or kindergarten, 20% are already overweight or obese, and those same kids are four times more likely to be obese by grade eight. Battling the bulge becomes a lifelong burden for these kids, and the best way to tackle this growing epidemic is teaching them where it all starts: outside, hands deep in the soil. Food gardening is a gentle, stress-lowering form of exercise (and good for mental health too) and it can help kids appreciate how food gets to their plates. It’s about forming a good relationship with food from an early age, educating them on healthy habits and learning to support sustainable methods of consumption for their future. There are lots of activities associated with gardening that can be worked into kids’ daily routines. Watering, digging and planting are just the start. It goes all the way through to picking the produce, and helping to prepare healthy foods for dinners and school lunches. Before you succumb to the “too hard” basket, getting into the garden with the little ones is actually not that hard. From apartments to acreage, just about any family can create their own Eden. Whether you’re starting out or you’re a seasoned green thumb, there are tools out there to make growing your own food with the kids as easy as one, two, three. Pindara Magazine 66 2017
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Ten
To see the actual publication please follow the link above