Help Kids Connect with Gardening Through Active Play

Not only do gardens provide nourishing foods, but healthy physical activity as well! Gardening is a fun and educational form of active play for kids and families. Do you know how many households in America are growing food at home or in a community garden? Answer: 35% or 42 million households; that’s up 17% in 5 years. Students and summer learners alike can benefit from learning more about nature, the benefits of physical activity, growing healthy food at home.

Outdoor Gardening Activity Ideas

Check out this hear-see-do activity idea for starting the conversation and participating in gardening activities with young learners. Then browse through some of the other ideas for fun gardening-related activities from other educators and parents who are connecting kids with active play and gardening.

Hear – See – Do Gardening Activity

• Help kids hear the message that growing a garden can offer fun active play.
• Let them see examples of gardening tasks.
• Let them do by acting out gardening tasks.

Ask questions that relate to a healthy balance of foods and physical activity:

• How many people do you know that have a garden?
• Name some gardening tasks (using a hoe, digging, planting, carrying soil, weeding).
• Name types of physical activities that gardening tasks add to your day (lifting, reaching, bending, and stretching).

Have kids act out the gardening tasks mentioned, or perform those tasks outside.

Before starting the activity, have a few flower pots or a gardening bed space set aside. Young learners will enjoy getting their hands dirty or helping out with gardening-related activities if you join in with enthusiasm. Challenge kids to help with gardening tasks at home or seek out opportunities with a community garden.

Educational Gardening Activities from Pinterest

Check out these fun ideas for gardening-related activities. Rain or shine, you can encourage kids to become interested in growing their own foods and understanding their natural environment.

More Healthy Students Activities and Ideas

If you are looking for more ideas and activity suggestions to benefit the health of young learners, check out all the blog posts on the Healthy Students category. For more active play games and ideas for a group, check out the Group Games & Activities page.

Read more: Group Games & Activities