Therapy From The Garden: How A Garden Can Help Your Child Achieve Their Goals
Spring is the time of year when adults begin working on their gardens to bring color into their yard. They put their gloves on, grab their shovels and seeds and start digging. This year, why not let your kid join in and let them learn a new skill while enjoying all of the benefits of nature. Horticulture activities have been shown to improve endurance, muscular strength, coordination skills, mental health, language skills, and more.
Check out this kid garden tool set to jump start your garden!
Try these tips below to work on your child’s desired skill:
Upper Extremity Coordination / Fine Motor
Work on strength, fine motor and coordination skills by digging with garden tools, scooping dirt into pots/around plants, and finger isolation skills by pushing the seeds down into the dirt.
Gross Motor Skills
S/he can address balance and endurance skills by lifting and carrying pots and dirt, and digging holes.
Language
Work on language skills by identifying the colors you see, type of seed you are planting, and name of the tools.
-Brittany Stout, MOT, OTR/L