There is no joy that can equal the joy of nurturing and watching something grow. Be it growing animals or plants, it teaches the important aspect of responsibility for another life. Gardening is almost a soul-searching endeavour. Choosing the seeds, preparing them, planting them, watering them and finally watching it sprout is almost like Zen meditation. And imagine when your child gets to pick out the first fruit or vegetable from the garden he or she helped grow? That experience is unparalleled. It is literally the fruit of labour.
Gardening can teach children many things like ‘why should we not waste food?’ (After all it took so much effort and time for you to grow that one cucumber) and all the science related to it.
A garden can also give an opportunity for a child to see a new world in the soil with insects and different sizes of stones, types etc. Set up a small garden along with your child with seeds from your kitchen and watch the sparkle in your child’s eyes as you point out to the miracle of life unfolding before him.