The Transformative Power of Gardening for Children

Social and Emotional Development through Gardening

Collaborative Skills
Gardening provides tamariki with opportunities to work alongside adults and peers in tasks such as sowing seeds, planting, watering, and harvesting. Through these shared experiences, they learn and practice social skills, including listening, asking questions, following instructions, and taking turns.

Confidence and Competence
With repeated opportunities to engage in gardening tasks, tamariki grow in confidence and competence. They begin to see themselves as capable gardeners responsible for nurturing their plants. This sense of responsibility fosters pride, and they take delight in sharing their accomplishments with others.

Tuakana-Teina Relationships
As children become more confident, they naturally take on leadership roles. They will guide peers and adults new to gardening, showing them how to undertake tasks and answering their questions.

Self-Worth
Gardening has a calming effect due to its close connection with nature. For tamariki who may struggle in other areas, the hands-on nature of gardening offers an avenue for success. A sense of achievement and pride is fostered when they nurture a seed through to harvest.

Language and Literacy Development through Gardening

Enhancing Oral Language Skills
Gardening offers a rich context for language development. By working alongside tamariki, kaiako can introduce gardening-specific vocabulary, building language skills while nurturing their identity as gardeners.

Literacy Skills
Seed packets, which often include images and written words, provide anexcellent tool for helping tamariki connect symbols to their meanings. This can aid in recognising words and understanding what they represent. Including tamariki in making labels for their plants will also aid in the development of literacy skills.

Mark Making and Writing
Encouraging tamariki to draw plans of the garden, and/or helping to make lists of plants they want to grow integrates creativity with literacy. This not only fosters early writing skills but also helps them visualise the garden they want to grow.

Storytelling through Garden Diaries
A garden diary can be a valuable tool for documentation and reflection. By recording activities, planting schedules, and harvests, tamariki engage in storytelling and conversation. Including photographs enhances these reflections, creating a tangible record of their journey and learning.

Maths in the Garden

Math concepts
Seeds and plants vary in size, shape, and colour, offering tamariki opportunities to explore these concepts. Observing the changing shapes and sizes of leaves, flowers, and vegetables further enriches their understanding.

Counting and Numeracy
Gardening involves numerous counting opportunities, such as the number of seeds sown, seedlings planted, or vegetables harvested. Tamariki can also count the days to germination, planting, or harvesting, fostering a deeper understanding of time and numeracy.

Weights and Measurement
As plants grow, tamariki can measure their height, track their growth overtime, and weigh harvested produce. These activities integrate practical mathematics with hands-on learning.

A Holistic Learning Experience

Gardening is not just about growing plants; it provides a rich, integrated environment for learning and development. From social skills to language, literacy, and mathematics, the garden serves as a dynamic classroom where tamariki can explore, experiment, and grow. The hands-on nature of gardening encourages children to connect with the natural world while building valuable life skills. By incorporating gardening into the curriculum, kaiako can offer a transformative experience that nurtures both the mind and the spirit of every child.