In the Netherlands, some schools offer gardening in their curriculum. In between math and literature classes, the children go outside to grow their own food and learn about plants while collaborating and communicating with their peers. They learn with all of their senses, and they are more likely to try the fruits and vegetables they grew themselves. Research indicates many advantages for school gardens, which perks the interest of schoolchildren and educators around the world.
The curriculum in the Netherlands
The Dutch curriculum dictates that primary schools must teach children about food education, including about plants, animals, sustainability, weather, and how to eat a healthy diet. So gardening is a way for kids to learn hands-on, while reaping many other research-backed benefits.
School gardening examples
One school in Rotterdam gives their 10 to 11-year-old students their own patch to grow vegetables. Throughout the growing season, they receive 15 lessons, and at the end, the children harvest their produce and use it to cook a soup or pizza together.
One unique study follows 462 children in an Amsterdam-based school garden and food education program from 2014 to 2017. Each child had their vegetable garden and received 25 gardening lessons in addition to cooking lessons. They also had the option to visit professional farms and gardens. In follow-up questionnaires, the children showed a lot of positivity toward the experience, and further research can explain why.
The benefits of gardening
Studies have already documented the potentially healing effects of nature on mental and physical wellbeing, and gardening compounds that. Being active outside can have relaxing and energizing effects. It clears the mind, shakes off sluggishness, and is a positive outlet for hyperactivity. Therefore, children can return to the classroom refreshed and ready to concentrate for the rest of the day.
Learning about food and plants
School gardens can help develop a variety of skills learned from other classes like math, science, and history. For example, the children calculate how many seeds they need to fill their patch, decipher what type of soil is required, all while learning where foods originate.
Children’s health
When school gardening began in the Netherlands, it was during the Great Depression and simply a means to provide food for the students and their families. Over time, it began to serve as a tool to combat health inequality and childhood obesity. Growing and learning about food effectively shows the importance of healthy eating. Children are more likely to enjoy produce they grow themselves, which can accustom them to enjoying vegetables and make them more likely to eat them again at home, says a 2017 study.
Read More: 12 Easy and Affordable Porch Planter Ideas You’ll Love
Fostering collaboration
The 2017 study also comments on the collaborative elements of school gardening. It involved a group of 45 participants in Amsterdam aged 9 to 10. Throughout the program, the children consistently helped and supported each other with all of their gardening assignments. Afterward, many participants expressed excitement at using their gardening skills to connect and support others, such as friends and family members.
Better behavior
Tim Baker, headteacher at Charlton Manor Primary School in England, acknowledged how many staff members were resistant to the idea. After all, they couldn’t trust certain children to behave in a classroom, so taking them outside would be worse, right? “But once those teachers started making use of the garden there was recognisable behaviour change in those pupils,” Baker said to the Guardian in 2017. “The children worked as a team, were engaged in their tasks, and took responsibility for nurturing the plants.”
Boosting students’ self-esteem
Additionally, some children are more comfortable working with their hands than at a desk. School gardens allow kids to shine no matter their academic scores, which can improve their self-esteem. It also can foster independence as well as promote physical exercise that isn’t too laborious.
The difficulties of school gardening
However, only 20% of schools in the Netherlands offer gardening, though many more would like to, says the organization School Food Matters. There are many obstacles, including a lack of teacher time, as well as teachers unequipped to guide a gardening workshop. And like many programs, it’s an expensive investment.
No space? No problem
Moreover, 65% of Dutch schools don’t have an established space for gardening, especially those in urban areas. However, some schools overcome this issue by using local parks, church grounds, or green community projects, such as helping old age home residents with their communal gardens. (This also combats the problem of elderly loneliness.)
Additionally, organizations like School Food Matters offer a network of certified gardening coaches and volunteers to help with these lessons. Their mission is to bring the benefits of school gardening to as many children as they could.
Read More: Should Every School Have a Year-Round Gardening Program?