Learning through playing: Gardening

Gardening can be a playful and fun activity for children and there are numerous benefits of learning gardening. For example, while interacting with plants in a controlled outdoor environment, pupils are exposed to insects (e.g. Ladybird) they often read about or see in textbooks, educational visual aids, and cartoons.

Here are some of the benefits of learning gardening:

1. Develops Responsibility: Gardening teaches students to be responsible for their plants and to take care of them regularly. It instils a sense of ownership and responsibility in them as they see their plants grow and thrive.
2. Encourages Healthy Eating: Gardening encourages students to eat healthy and fresh food. They learn about the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables and are more likely to try new foods when they have grown them themselves.
3. Improves Physical Health: Gardening involves physical activity such as digging, planting, weeding, and watering. This can help improve students’ physical health by providing them with an opportunity to exercise and get some fresh air.
4. Enhances Cognitive Skills: Gardening involves problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking skills. Students learn to plan, design, and execute a garden, which can enhance their cognitive skills.
5. Teaches Environmental Responsibility: Gardening can help students learn about the environment and their role in taking care of it. They learn about the importance of soil, water, and sunlight in the growth of plants and how to use natural resources sustainably.
6. Boosts Emotional Well-being: Gardening can help reduce stress and improve students’ moods. It provides them with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as they watch their plants grow and thrive.
7. Fosters Teamwork and Social Skills: Gardening can be a collaborative activity, and students can learn to work together to achieve a common goal. It can help them develop social skills such as communication, cooperation, and empathy.

Playing gardening can provide pupils with a range of benefits, including developing responsibility, encouraging healthy eating, improving physical health, enhancing cognitive skills, teaching environmental responsibility, boosting emotional well-being, and fostering teamwork and social skills.