Kids' and the Love for Plants

The recent craze of Dabawenyos during the lockdown now involves the plant craze. Most of us now often wonder where to buy affordable plants in Davao or if there are any backyard plants available in Davao that we can immediately buy for ourselves. But in the middle of this all, have you ever paused for a while and wonder if gardening and tilling our own plants can be made into one significant bonding moment with our kids too? 

An essay entitled “Gardening with Kids: How it Affects Your Child’s Brain, Body, and Soul” written by Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH (Doctor Yum) and Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP (Coach Mel) states that gardening have three important effects to kids that will affect their brain, body, and soul. 

How gardening affects kids’ brains. “The wonder of seeing a garden grow may spark your kids to ask questions like: Why do the plants need sun? How does the plant “drink” water? Why are worms good for the plants? Soon you will be talking about soil composition, photosynthesis and more! Add a little math while gardening by measuring how much plants are growing from week to week or counting the flowers on each plant. Supplement the experience of gardening with books about plants, trips to a botanical garden, or a photo journal of the plants that you are growing.” In simpler terms, gardening can be one fun way of teaching your kids the basics of science, math, and even language. Simply engage them through answering their questions and you’ll be amazed on how fast they can pick up on everything from then. To top it off, while you and the kids grow your own garden, think of all the brain building vitamins they can have through the plants you nurtured. Green leafy vegetables, carrots, and potted herbs and plants are just a few of the many foods you can grow on your own. 

How gardening affects kids’ bodies. “The act of gardening itself can also promote a healthy body. Kids LOVE to get their hands and feet in the dirt, which can run counter to the modern parenting style of compulsively keeping hands and surfaces cleaned and sanitized. However, consider the “hygiene hypothesis,” a theory that a lack of childhood exposure to germs actually increases a child’s susceptibility to diseases like asthma, allergies and autoimmune conditions by suppressing the development of the immune system. So getting dirty while gardening may actually strengthen a child’s immunity and overall health.” A little bit of sunlight and exercise will do you and your kids a great favor. All those raking, lifting, and moving around can actually promote motor skills. Since you are developing this skill at a young age, studies show that this will help the kids keep calm and focused. 

How gardening affects kids’ souls.  This one is on a personal level. Engaging and  including your kids in this kind of activity will help boost their self confidence. By engaging in a family connection, the time spent in gardening allows the kids to  build teamwork and communication skills. More importantly, after a long day in the garden, the self-esteem a child gets from eating a perfect cucumber that he grew himself is priceless.

With these in mind, the Malagos Garden Resort has just recently launched our plants for sale. Each was carefully considered for an easy and convenient gardening experience for you and the family. 
Simply head on to https://malagoshomegrownproduce.com/collections/plants?page=1 and conveniently shop the day away!